France-Morocco Deal on Unaccompanied Minors Sparks Controversy Among Rights Groups

The text of the agreement signed on December 7, during the visit of the French Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, and which indicated that its objective was to "allow youth judges to have the essential elements to take the most appropriate measures in the interest of these children, including return", has not been made public. Thus, dozens of lawyers and associations, including La Cimade, Amnesty International and the Union of French Lawyers, complained, through a joint statement, of the "lack of consultation and transparency in the development of this agreement".

The signatories therefore call on the State to "engage in a dialogue with the associations in order to improve the protection mechanisms for these children in danger, an essential lever to effectively fight against the crime that feeds on their vulnerability". In addition, in memory of the previous Franco-Romanian bilateral agreement of 2011 on the return of unaccompanied minors, they wish the dissemination of the agreement to "ensure that these provisions are in line with the best interests of children, in respect of the rights of the child".

Moreover, the issue of unaccompanied Moroccan minors, fixed for a few years on the presence of violent young people in a Parisian square, is a real problem for the French authorities, who cannot send them back because of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and who also cannot integrate them, since they are for the most part "drug addicts and socially disadvantaged." Thus, "all support efforts have failed," explained an expert involved in their follow-up. However, "we are also convinced that the security and coercive approach is a dead end," the statement concluded.