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.
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