Morocco has expressed its readiness to work with Spain and other European partners to identify and return unaccompanied minors following the mass arrival of tens of thousands of migrants Ceuta last week.
Morocco's state news agency MAP, citing a diplomatic source, said Rabat had received instructions to work towards identifying unaccompanied minors with the aim of facilitating their return to Morocco.
The source said the kingdom was prepared to cooperate with Spanish and European authorities on the process.
Spanish authorities say around 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta during the influx in late July, while Moroccan authorities put the number involved at about 40,000. Most have since returned to Morocco.
At least 1,100 unaccompanied minors remain in Ceuta, including children who arrived during the latest crossings and others who were already living in the enclave, according to local authorities.
Unlike adult migrants, unaccompanied minors cannot be immediately returned under existing procedures, leaving Spanish authorities responsible for their care while their identities and individual circumstances are assessed.
The sudden increase has placed significant pressure on Ceuta's reception system. Some children have been housed in temporary facilities as existing centres reached capacity, while authorities and humanitarian organisations have worked to provide accommodation and basic services.
Madrid has announced €25 million($28.8m) in emergency funding to support the care and redistribution of unaccompanied minors from Ceuta.
The Spanish government is seeking to transfer children to other parts of the country as the enclave struggles with the number requiring protection. The process has also generated political disputes over how responsibility for the minors should be shared among Spain's autonomous regions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has previously welcomed cooperation from Morocco aimed at facilitating repatriations, while stressing that the government would use state resources to address the situation in Ceuta.
Morocco, meanwhile, says difficulties in returning minors have largely resulted from administrative and legal obstacles rather than a lack of cooperation from Rabat.
The Moroccan diplomatic source cited by MAP rejected suggestions that the kingdom had resisted repatriations and said cooperation would require Spain and its European partners to overcome obstacles within their own legal and administrative systems.
The crisis has also drawn attention from across the European Union.
EU interior ministers held an emergency video conference on 4 August to discuss developments in Ceuta, with member states expressing unanimous solidarity with Spain and stressing that protecting the bloc's external borders was a shared European responsibility.
The Council of the European Union said information presented by Spain and the European Commission showed that the vast majority of those who had entered Ceuta irregularly had been returned and that there had been no significant onward movement to mainland Spain or other EU countries.
The bloc also called for stronger action against migrant-smuggling networks, improved border protection and closer partnerships with countries of origin and transit.
With the large-scale crossings having eased, attention is increasingly focused on the unaccompanied children who remain in Ceuta and the legal and humanitarian challenges surrounding their future.
Morocco's offer to cooperate could help authorities establish the identities and family circumstances of the minors and potentially facilitate their return.
However, each case will still have to proceed through the relevant legal and child-protection procedures rather than the rapid return mechanisms used for many adult migrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “...
Tajikistan tripled fuel imports from neighbouring Central Asian countries in July after deliveries from Russia declined sharply, underscoring how disr...
The UK government announced a new package of sanctions on Thursday (6 August) aimed at disrupting Russia's financial sector and oil exports, expanding...
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two key maritime chokepoints in the region, decreased significantly from the previous day, according to shipping data.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 6th of August, covering the latest developments.
Kazakhstan’s main oil export corridor was disrupted by drone strikes near Russia’s Black Sea coast in July, forcing a temporary suspension of crude loadings and raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of regional energy infrastructure to the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's ambassadors to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries. The removals came after a speech on Monday in which he said embassies would be judged on their effectiveness in securing weapons for Ukraine.
Tajikistan tripled fuel imports from neighbouring Central Asian countries in July after deliveries from Russia declined sharply, underscoring how disruptions to Russian exports are prompting governments across the region to seek alternative suppliers.
Three students and three teachers have been killed in a school shooting in Thailand, with at least 15 injured and two in critical condition, according to Royal Thai Police.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 7th of August, covering the latest developments.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at narrowing access to birthright citizenship, reviving one of the central pledges of his immigration agenda despite a recent setback in the Supreme Court.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment