Ceuta Crisis: Morocco Demands Child Repatriation

RABAT, Morocco – Morocco’s Justice Minister, Abdellatif Ouahbi, has demanded that Spain return all unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently on Spanish territory, following the unprecedented mass migration surge into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

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In statements to Moroccan news portal Hespress, Ouahbi held Spanish authorities responsible for the situation of these minors and asserted that Rabat would seek their return through both legal and political channels. The minister affirmed that Morocco remains committed to recovering all its minors, including those who recently arrived in Ceuta and those who remain in other Spanish reception centres. He stressed that Morocco is not willing to abandon children, adolescents, and young Moroccans who are in Spain, away from their families and their country.

@elpais

Cientos de menores continúan haciendo cola frente a la Jefatura Superior de Policía de Ceuta para registrarse y solicitar ayuda. Algunos han llegado incluso a las cinco de la mañana y, para amenizar la espera, uno de ellos se ha vestido de mimo y ha organizado un pequeño espectáculo. Durante la espera, los menores han comenzado a corear vivas a España y a Pedro Sánchez, y también han aplaudido a los agentes que custodian la zona y tratan de evitar que la concentración bloquee la calle, ante una situación que ha desbordado a la Policía. #ceuta #policía #inmigración #gobiernodeespaña

♬ sonido original – El País

Ouahbi stated that Spain’s responsibility extends to the living conditions of these minors, and defended the need for an immediate agreement between the two countries to facilitate their return while preserving cooperation and good relations between Rabat and Madrid. The minister argued that the most suitable environment for ensuring a better future for these minors is with their families and in their home country, adding that the matter has already been discussed with his Spanish counterpart, focusing on legal and institutional avenues to verify identities and facilitate return to their homes in Morocco.

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During the migration surge, which peaked on July 30 and resulted in dozens of deaths, tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta irregularly from Morocco. More than 70,000 subsequently returned to Morocco, while the remainder stayed in Spain. The issue of unaccompanied minors remains a sensitive aspect of the broader migration crisis, highlighting the complex legal and humanitarian challenges facing both countries. Spanish authorities have not yet issued a formal response to Ouahbi’s demands, but the matter is expected to feature prominently in ongoing bilateral discussions on migration management and the welfare of unaccompanied minors in the coming weeks.