Chahid El Hafed (Sahrawi Refugee Camps) 25 July 2026 (SPS) – Former Member of the European Parliament and Spanish political analyst and Anti-Colonial activist Miguel Urbán stated on Saturday at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Sahrawi Republic in Chahid El Hafed that the Moroccan occupying power has turned the tourism sector into a key instrument for plundering Sahrawi natural resources and legitimizing its military occupation. He stressed that Spanish citizens who participate in tourism activities in the occupied Territory bear responsibility for supporting the occupation and colonialism.
Urbán made the remarks during the international Conferece on "The Legal Battle and the Sahrawi People's Permanent Sovereignty over Their Natural Resources," attended by Sahrawi and international experts.
He argued that the exploitation of the occupied Territory under the guise of tourism constitutes a clear violation of international law and the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The Spanish activist drew parallels between contemporary colonial projects, comparing Morocco's policies in Western Sahara to proposals aimed at transforming Gaza into a tourist resort at the expense of the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Urbán explained that Morocco, which declared itself Africa's leading tourism destination in 2024 after receiving 17.4 million visitors, has concentrated its efforts on promoting the occupied city of Dakhla by falsely marketing it as an "eco-friendly and sustainable" destination and a hub for water sports.
He contrasted this image with the reality on the ground, where the Territory remains under a heavy security presence and media blockade that prevents journalists and international observers from entering and obscures ongoing human rights violations.
He strongly criticized the involvement of European companies and institutions in this strategy, noting that the Moroccan occupation has relied on Spanish social media influencers to promote tourism in occupied Dakhla.
He also pointed to the opening of direct air routes linking the occupied city to European destinations, including Madrid through Ryanair and Paris through Transavia, to facilitate the flow of European tourists.
According to Urbán, these developments amount to open complicity by multinational corporations in the exploitation of Sahrawi resources and constitute a direct challenge to the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which have established that no economic activity in Western Sahara is lawful without the consent of the Sahrawi people.
The Spanish political activist also recalled pressure and unlawful practices within the European Parliament, referring to the 2022 "Moroccogate" corruption scandal and allegations that networks of influence were established to shape decisions in Morocco's favor.
He noted that the repercussions of these practices extended to obstructing Sahrawi human rights defender Ms. Sultana Khaya from reaching the final stage of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize.
Concluding his remarks, Miguel Urbán stressed the need to continue political and legal efforts to dismantle Moroccan networks of influence and corruption within European institutions and to ensure respect for the Sahrawi people's inalienable right to self-determination and full sovereignty over their land and natural resources. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
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