European Parliament Condemns Morocco’s Use of Migrants as ’Political Pressure’ in Ceuta Crisis

In its resolution, the European Parliament says it rejects "Morocco’s use of border controls and migration, including unaccompanied minors, as a means of political pressure on a Member State of the Union; deplores in particular that children, unaccompanied minors and families have massively crossed the border between Morocco and the Spanish city of Ceuta, thus clearly endangering their lives and safety; regrets the worsening of the political and diplomatic crisis..."

To resolve this political and diplomatic crisis, the deputies call on Rabat and Madrid to work closely together to bring Moroccan children back to their families in respect of the best interests of the child and national and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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This text was adopted by 397 votes in favor, 85 against and 196 abstentions, on Thursday, June 10 in Strasbourg. The deputies who voted against explained their approach. "I had a hard time supporting this resolution and I voted against it. I’m not sure it’s to be taken seriously, as it’s based on a jumble of fake news. [...] This resolution is counterproductive for the relationship between Morocco and Spain," said Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský. Morocco "has long been our reliable and serious partner. For the European Union, it has been one of the best partners in Africa. And that’s why I didn’t want to support this resolution," he added. "I voted against this resolution which does everything except call for de-escalation," said Belgian MEP Frédérique Ries.