Morocco Seeks Fairer Spain Partnership to Protect Unaccompanied Minors, Expert Says
Rabat says Spain’s rules let some families use child protection to gain residence, while only eight unaccompanied minors were repatriated in 2024.
- Morocco has demanded that Spain return all unaccompanied minors in Ceuta following a mass influx, with Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi stating Rabat will pursue returns through legal channels under instructions from King Mohammed.
- A massive influx of migrants overwhelmed Ceuta's reception facilities; by 7 August, authorities registered 1,342 minors, though NGOs estimate the true number could reach 7,000.
- Youth Minister Sira Rego stated Madrid insists repatriation requires individual assessment based on the child's "best interests" rather than collective returns, even when requested by the origin country.
- The Spanish government is preparing to transfer minors from overwhelmed Ceuta facilities to mainland regions within weeks, with transfers covering accommodation, documentation, healthcare, and integration.
- Official data shows 21,104 unaccompanied minors and former wards held valid residence permits in Spain as of March 31, 2026; critics allege some families deliberately exploit these pathways to secure long-term residency.
26 Articles
26 Articles
The tension is growing in Ceuta, where almost two weeks after the mass influx from Morocco the situation remains uncertain and the return to normality still appears far away. The main issue concerns the people still present in the Spanish autonomous city and, in particular, unaccompanied minors: Madrid identified 1,527 minors who intend to reunite with their families in Morocco, but the return procedures have not yet left. The Spanish government…
Morocco has again demanded that its unaccompanied minors in the autonomous city of Ceuta be returned to Spain on Wednesday and has asked the authorities to overcome the "administrative and judicial obstacles" that prevent their return to their families "as soon as possible." The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior has urged Spain to "assume its responsibilities" and has appealed to both parties to "comply with their commitments, within the framewo…
Morocco: Spain - Ensure Human Rights, Dignity and Humanity Are Central in Response to Exceptional Arrival of People in Ceuta
Press Release - Reacting to the crossing of tens of thousands of people, including children, from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and the reported deaths of 43 people, Esteban Beltrán, Director of Amnesty International Spain, said:
The return of children and young people to their families requires valued administrative procedures that can be extended if the teams are not strengthened earlier. 55
Pedro Sánchez’s executive has stressed that his “priority” is for minors to return to Morocco after Rabat has claimed their return.
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