Spain Begins Repatriation of Unaccompanied Minors to Morocco from Ceuta

"For now, only minors under the age of 15 are affected by the operation, according to the agreement reached between the Ministry of the Interior and the Moroccan government. About 15 repatriations will be carried out per day over a 15-day period," explained Carlos Rontomé.

To read: Spain Begins Mass Repatriation of Unaccompanied Moroccan Minors from Ceuta

"The Moroccan government will be responsible for locating the families of these minors, carrying out family reunifications and ensuring their integration into their families. Otherwise, the minors will remain in the reception center in Morocco," added the second vice-president of Ceuta.

To read: Spain Aims to Repatriate Hundreds of Moroccan Minors from Ceuta by September

The Interior Ministry launched on Friday the operation to repatriate some 800 unaccompanied minors who arrived en masse in Ceuta in May. The Ombudsman is calling for the suspension of the operation. Human rights organizations including UNICEF consider this collective repatriation of minors "illegal," denounce a violation of children’s rights and call for a case-by-case repatriation of these minors.