Morocco has expressed readiness to cooperate with Spain and other European partners on the return of unaccompanied minors who entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta during a recent surge in migrant crossings.
Morocco’s state news agency, MAP, reported on Thursday that the country had committed to identifying the minors and facilitating their return in line with directives from King Mohammed VI.
“Morocco has committed, in line with high royal instructions issued to the interior and foreign affairs ministries, to work towards identifying unaccompanied minors with a view to their return to their homeland,” MAP quoted a diplomatic source as saying.
The move follows a major influx of migrants into Ceuta last week, with Spanish authorities estimating that about 72,000 people crossed into the enclave, while Moroccan officials put the figure at around 40,000.
Ceuta authorities said at least 1,100 unaccompanied minors remain in the territory, including some who arrived during the recent crossing and others who were already there.
Most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have since returned to Morocco, but unaccompanied children cannot be immediately sent back under existing legal procedures.
Authorities in Spain and Morocco are expected to coordinate the identification and repatriation process while ensuring compliance with regulations governing the return of minors.
