Morocco and Spain Negotiate Legal Framework for Repatriation of Unaccompanied Minors from Ceuta

The issue was addressed during the meeting of the permanent mixed Spanish-Moroccan commission held on Friday in Madrid, under the chairmanship of the Director General of Migration and Border Surveillance, Khaled Zerouali, and the Secretary of State for Migration, Isabel Castro Fernandez. The Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez Ruiz, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau, and the Moroccan Ambassador to Madrid, Karima Benyaitch, also took part in this meeting.

"The two parties agreed to continue to prioritize the best interests of the minor by adopting an approach based on prevention, protection and concerted return. The parties examined a draft procedure for the return of minors surrounded by all legal guarantees and respectful of international commitments," says a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, recalling the instructions of King Mohammed VI on the repatriation of all minors "duly identified".

The joint commission also welcomed the efforts made by the Moroccan authorities in the fight against illegal immigration and agreed to strengthen police cooperation between the two countries. It also discussed the issue of regular immigration and agreed to improve the conditions for the transfer of seasonal workers and promote regular and controlled migration flows.