Morocco has confirmed it is willing to take back unaccompanied minors born in the country who are now in Spain, provided Spanish authorities address the legal and administrative barriers preventing their return. The position follows a major migration episode in which more than 70,000 people, including thousands of minors, crossed into Ceuta and sparked a humanitarian crisis in the Spanish enclave.
Diplomatic sources cited by EFE say Morocco is prepared to cooperate on repatriating these minors if Spain removes the judicial and bureaucratic obstacles that have stalled the process. The Moroccan government, under the direction of Mohammed VI, has instructed officials to work toward returning unaccompanied minors to their country of origin. Officials in Rabat say Morocco has consistently honored its commitments on the issue and remains open to dialogue at the highest level.
Moroccan representatives have criticized Spanish media and political actors for portraying the situation as a breach of Morocco’s commitments. Rabat instead points to Spanish administrative measures and, at times, judicial decisions as the basic impediments to the minors’ return. The diplomatic source also says Spanish legislation currently complicates the process, making family reunification or repatriation difficult even when minors remain in contact with relatives in Morocco.
Spanish law treats unaccompanied minors differently from adults: they cannot be returned through the same procedures, and authorities must assess each case individually. They must verify a child’s identity and guardianship, then assess family ties in light of the child’s best interests. Spanish minister Ángel Víctor Torres has said that direct returns of minors are not legally possible. That structure explains why Morocco’s stated readiness alone cannot complete a return. Spanish authorities must first establish the relevant facts and follow the applicable child-protection procedures.
Under a bilateral agreement signed in 2007, Spain can ask Morocco to take responsibility for unaccompanied minors born in the North African country. Each case must be assessed individually to determine whether family reunification is feasible. Reporting on the aftermath of the 2021 Ceuta arrivals said more than 600 requests to reunite minors with relatives in Morocco were sent to Rabat, with no response recorded at the time. A separate account reported 65 files submitted for family reunification. The figures reflect different reported tallies, but both illustrate the administrative work and cross-border coordination involved. The countries’ proximity and the continuing ties many minors have with their families in Morocco could, in theory, make reunification more straightforward, but impressive legal hurdles remain in practice.
The scale of the child-protection challenge put particular pressure on Ceuta, whose territory covers about 19 square kilometers. Spanish authorities reported that 3,434 minors had been identified within the city’s protection system; 114 were hosted by families in mainland Spain, while 181 were transferred to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain’s Immigration Law. Torres warned that leaving the minors in Ceuta would mean the city continued to bear the pressure. These transfers offered alternatives to immediate return while authorities handled individual cases and family links.
The issue has become a recurring point of tension in Spanish-Moroccan relations, particularly after the mass entry into Ceuta. Spanish officials have described adult returns as voluntary, while rights groups have questioned whether consent and safeguards were adequate. Amnesty International characterized the 2021 returns as “collective and forced.” The distinction is especially consequential for children: authorities must identify them and trace their families before making protection decisions or pursuing return or reunification. For more on the broader context of the Ceuta crisis and Morocco’s response to Spanish legal rulings, see this detailed report on the diplomatic standoff.
In recent years, managing unaccompanied minors has posed logistical demands and difficult legal questions, with humanitarian consequences for both countries. Spanish regions, particularly those bordering Morocco, have faced pressure on social services and accommodation facilities. The debate over minors’ return also raises broader questions about protecting children within migration policy and the role of international cooperation. Changes to Spain’s legal structure or administrative procedures could have immediate consequences for hundreds of minors and their families on both sides of the Mediterranean.
