Unicef France Warns Against Forced Return of Unaccompanied Moroccan Minors

Unicef France was thus reacting to a circular dated February 8, recalling that unaccompanied Moroccan minors are children in danger and that "solutions must first be found in France". According to the UN agency, none of the reasons cited by the French government can justify "the development of mechanisms considering return as the solution to be favored". Even worse, "the cooperation does not mention at any time the situation of child victims or at risk of trafficking, which is the case for many isolated Moroccan minors, often forced to commit offenses in particular," laments Unicef France, which believes that "the prospect of return is likely to further deter minors from seeking protection, thus aggravating their vulnerability".

Far from a cooperation to force the return of these minors, "it is up to the children’s judge to take educational assistance measures to protect them, personalize and adapt the criminal response in case of an offense. Strengthened protection must be guaranteed for child victims or at risk of trafficking and exploitation," insists the agency, stressing that "if family reunification can be in the child’s interest, it should only be considered if it does not endanger the child, if the family has the capacity to take care of him and if it is willing".

Unicef France is concerned that once in Morocco, the minors will be left to their own devices. For those who are being sought by their families, the problem will not arise. Otherwise, they will be entrusted to the social protection establishments in Morocco. But are these establishments equipped to take care of these children? The quality of the care of children within these centers needs to be reviewed, despite the many efforts made by the Moroccan government. Social protection establishments are mainly managed by private actors and the lack of control instruments greatly increases the vulnerability of children in these establishments, Unicef France continues. It calls on the actors in charge of their protection to be vigilant, and recalls that "it is imperative to ensure that on his return, the child will be properly cared for, safe, and able to enjoy his rights".