Spanish authorities have revealed that Bolivian passengers who had problems with their visas from a cruise ship headed to Croatia, which was stranded in a port in Barcelona as authorities were settling the matter.
In a statement, the Spanish government said that an agreement with MSC Cruises Company, where 69 Bolivian passengers were removed from the cruise ship and were taken to a transit zone in the port. However, they were not granted permission to enter the country, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Previously SchengenVisaInfo reported that the ship was stuck in Barcelona and the Bolivian passengers were not allowed to leave until further notice.
Bolivian Passengers Transferred to a Special Ship
MSC Cruises Company agreed to secure another boat from Italy, for Bolivian passengers, in order for thousands of passengers stranded on cruise ships to continue their journey. However, it is not yet public if the Bolivian passengers will remain in Barcelona until they resolve their visa problems.
Passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil. We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.
The company also vowed to provide food and health care for passengers in the meantime.
Previously, the Bolivian diplomat in Spain, Solange Duarte said that she was told that the affected passengers were scammed into obtaining fake visas, while the Spanish authorities raised concerns that this could be a fake visa scam.
We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers.
Authorities to Decide Over the Cases of 69 Bolivians Stranded in Barcelona
The Bolivians are denied access to Spanish territory since they do not have valid Schengen visas – with Spain being a Schengen member state. According to a Spanish Interior Ministry source, this group of nationals were also carrying false documents.
They are set to be taken to another boat, while the authorities process their cases and decide whether they should be deported or be granted asylum status.
Juan, a Bolivian man whose son was among those detained said that he had trusted a travel company for the documentation.
We don’t know if they will be deported. Right now, we are in a wait-and-see moment in which we don’t know if there will be a solution.
The cruise ship began its journey in Brazil, arrived in Barcelona this week and was set to leave for Corsica. Authorities have raised concerns that this could be a new irregular migration route from Latin America to Europe.
