Senegalese man deported during regularization process

Abdou Ngom, a 30-year-old Senegalese man living in Catalonia, was deported from Spain this week while he was trying to complete paperwork for the government’s 2026 extraordinary migrant regularization process. ElDiario.es reported on May 21 that Abdou went to a police station to sign a document, was detained there and was flown to Dakar less than 48 hours later. Infobae, which reported the case on May 19, said Abdou had been transferred through Madrid and then onward toward Senegal. Spain’s government opened the regularization program this spring for foreign nationals already living in the country, with applications running through June 30. ### How did Abdou end up in deportation proceedings while trying to regularize his status? ElDiario.es said Abdou was in the middle of gathering documents for the regularization process when he was called to a police station in Badalona to sign paperwork. According to the outlet, he was detained there and deported before he could collect his belongings or say goodbye to the people helping him. Infobae identified the man as Abdou Ngom and said he had a final expulsion order in force. The outlet reported that his lawyer, Marta Llonch, had not been able to speak with him after the deportation and that a report certifying his social vulnerability had not arrived in time for his application. ### What was the legal process he was trying to use? Spain’s Council of Ministers authorized the extraordinary regularization process on January 27, 2026, saying it was aimed at foreign nationals already in the country and that applications would remain open until June 30. La Moncloa said applicants must prove at least five months of residence before December 31, 2025, and must not have a criminal record. The government said successful applicants could receive a one-year residence permit with work authorization. El País reported on April 27 that migrants in Barcelona and Badalona were queuing overnight outside municipal offices to obtain the social-vulnerability certificate required for the process. ### What is known about Abdou’s situation before the deportation? Infobae reported that Abdou had lived in Spain for about five years and had spent long periods without papers, sleeping rough or in informal settlements. The outlet said he had worked in agricultural campaigns and later survived by collecting scrap metal. The same report said retired doctor Àngela Valeiras had taken him in after the December 2025 eviction of the former B9 school in Badalona, where many migrants had been living. Valeiras told Infobae, “No hay derecho,” and said Abdou had been rebuilding his life. ### How is this tied to the Badalona eviction? The Mossos d’Esquadra cleared the former B9 school in Badalona on December 17, 2025, in an operation RTVE said followed a court order and involved Spain’s National Police on immigration enforcement. RTVE reported that around 20 migrants were detained under immigration law during the operation and 54 others were identified. The site had been described as the largest migrant settlement in Catalonia. RTVE said as many as 500 people had lived there at one stage, while Badalona mayor Xavier García Albiol said on social media that the eviction had begun for “400 okupas ilegales.” ### What have lawyers and support groups said? Marta Llonch, identified by Infobae as Abdou’s lawyer, said the missing vulnerability report prevented him from completing the regularization route before his removal. ElDiario.es framed the detention at the police station as the decisive moment that cut off that process. Earlier criticism of the Badalona eviction had already come from migrant-rights groups and other organizations. RTVE reported that social groups denounced the lack of housing alternatives after the December clearance, and Europa Press said later that movements including Regularización Ya and CEAR demanded decent housing for those affected. ### What happens next in the broader process? June 30 is the deadline Spain’s government set for applications to the extraordinary regularization program. El País reported that Badalona and Barcelona were issuing daily appointments to manage demand for the required municipal paperwork, while charities including Cáritas were reinforcing support services. Marta Llonch and the people who had been helping Abdou were still trying this week to establish contact after his removal, according to Infobae. Any further challenge to the deportation or public response to the case is likely to center on the documents he had not yet been able to file before he was put on the flight to Dakar.