Morocco Demands Spain Repatriate Moroccan Minors

Morocco Demands Spain Repatriate Unaccompanied Moroccan Minors

Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi has demanded that Spain repatriate all unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently in Spanish territory. According to Moncloa, 80,000 people crossed the border from Morocco into Ceuta irregularly, leaving 1,400 minors in the autonomous city. More than 70,000 subsequently returned to the Maghreb country, while the rest remain in Spain.

Ouahbi stated that "the most suitable environment to ensure a better future for these minors is within their families and their country." The demand comes after an unprecedented migration crisis, and Rabat has assured it will seek the return of the minors through legal and political channels.

Extremadura's president, María Guardiola, accused the Sánchez government of imposing responsibilities it failed to foresee. In Madrid, the councilor for the presidency, Miguel Ángel García Martín, warned that resources for attending to minors are "at breaking point" and denounced an "unprecedented immigration chaos."

Vox was the most outspoken: its representatives in Extremadura, Aragon, and Castilla y León announced they would not attend the August 13 meeting called by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood to organise the distribution. The state attorney general, Teresa Peramato, issued a decree on Friday with guidelines to ensure the protection of unaccompanied minors.

According to El Español's thesis, the MENAS living in poor conditions in Ceuta should be returned to Morocco with their families immediately. Between 2018 and 2024, nearly 28,000 unaccompanied foreign minors were taken in by Spain. Only forty-one were repatriated. That’s 0.15%.

The majority of Spaniards (around 80%, according to an EL ESPAÑOL poll) support returning the minors to Morocco. The PSOE government remains committed to defending the current procedure, which in practice means maintaining the status quo and distributing the burden among already saturated communities.

The PP criticised the speed of the Attorney General's response, accusing her of "coming to the aid of the government," although it acknowledged it would comply with existing regulations. Morocco's demand adds pressure to an already tense political scenario marked by strained resources and an overwhelmed autonomous city.

Ceuta continues to face the consequences of the migration surge: overwhelmed facilities, military deployment, street violence, and unprecedented social impact, according to data from various administrations. Negotiations between Madrid and Rabat will be crucial in determining the future of the minors and preventing the crisis from escalating into a larger diplomatic conflict.

The next step will be the August 13 meeting convened by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood to organise the distribution of minors among the autonomous communities. However, the resistance from Vox and other autonomous communities could complicate the implementation of any agreement. Political tension and international pressure will continue to be key factors in resolving this migration crisis.

Piece prepared by the newsroom from cross-checked sources in several countries.