Morocco plans 400-place centre for unaccompanied minors, with €3 million in Dutch funding under consideration
Exchanges between Rabat and The Hague reveal a Moroccan plan for a reception centre for 400 unaccompanied minors. The proposed budget is €9 million, with a Dutch contribution of €3 million under consideration. Discussions launched in 2024 are still mentioned in an April 2026 diplomatic report.
The project took shape in an email dated June 20, 2024. Dutch officials considered a proposal from Rabat to create a multifunctional centre in Morocco to accommodate and support unaccompanied minors. The exchanges appear in publicly released Dutch administrative documents.
Most of the young people concerned would be minors likely to leave Morocco irregularly. A smaller part of the programme would be reserved for those returning from the Netherlands, to support their care and reintegration. The centre would therefore have two roles: preventing some departures and supporting returnees.
The programme would run for five years, with two years devoted to construction and three to operations. Its projected budget is €9 million. Under the proposal being discussed, the Netherlands would fund one-third, or €3 million.
Build a centre or use an existing building?
In July 2024, Dutch officials considered two options: building a facility or adapting premises already available. They also wanted to check whether the proposed capacity matched the number of young people likely to be accommodated.
The Dutch Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) could contribute its expertise to the centre’s design and operations. Technical discussions with Morocco’s Ministry of Solidarity were envisaged to clarify the needs and responsibilities of the partners.
The project is part of a longer-standing dialogue. In February 2023, Rabat and The Hague had already discussed the return to Morocco of unaccompanied Moroccan minors, during a visit to the Netherlands by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit.
The file then moved forward diplomatically. In January 2025, during discussions with the Dutch ambassador to Morocco, the centre was raised as a way to facilitate the return of the minors concerned.
More than a year later, the issue was still on the agenda. A report dated April 7, 2026, following a bilateral meeting held five days earlier, recalled previous discussions on the joint creation of the facility.
At that point, the exchanges still described a cooperation project. The Dutch financial contribution and the construction of the centre remained to be secured.
