Morocco Urges Spain on Minors’ Return

Morocco wants Spain to move faster. That was the message from the Interior Ministry on Wednesday, calling on Spanish authorities to speed up the return of unaccompanied minors currently in the occupied Sebta to their families back in Morocco, building on the coordination the two countries already have in place.

Ministry spokesperson Rachid El Khalfi, speaking in Rabat, put it plainly: Spain needs to own its share of the responsibility here and work to accelerate the process, in a way that puts the minors’ best interests first — while clearing the administrative and judicial obstacles that keep holding things up.

He raised the issue while addressing something else entirely: online calls for mass illegal crossings toward occupied Sebta and occupied Mellilia, tied to August 15. Authorities, he said, have already taken every measure needed to stop such attempts and intercept anyone trying to take part. A group of suspects has already been detained and placed under judicial investigation.

Irregular migration, El Khalfi said, isn’t something one country can manage alone. It calls for real, balanced cooperation and a genuine commitment from everyone involved. He pointed to the immediate return mechanism as proof of what that kind of cooperation can achieve, noting that past experience has shown just how effective it’s been — both in tackling the challenges on the ground and in strengthening how authorities respond.

Fighting irregular migration and the trafficking networks behind it, he added, can’t rest on one side’s efforts. Every party has to step up and follow through on its commitments, as part of a genuinely shared responsibility.

Moroccan authorities, El Khalfi stressed, will keep doing their part with the same firmness and seriousness as always — protecting public order, safeguarding people and property, and continuing to work with Spain, staying alert and coordinated as new risks emerge, all within the bounds of the law.

• Source: MAP