Morocco ready to take back unaccompanied minors from Spain if legal barriers are removed

If Spain and Morocco can overcome legal and administrative obstacles, Spain may be willing to take back Moroccan unaccompanied minors, according to the Spanish government. However, this process is not as simple as identifying a child's nationality and arranging transportation across the border. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated in 2024 that Morocco is ready to receive its nationals, but the issue is more complex as Spanish authorities must examine each case to ensure compliance with Spanish child-protection law.

The matter is particularly pressing in Ceuta, where the arrival of unaccompanied minors has strained local child-protection services. Ceuta has received over 1,300 unaccompanied minors recently, leading authorities to seek assistance from the central government and other autonomous communities. The current situation highlights the need for a workable arrangement between Madrid and Rabat that considers the individual circumstances of each child, rather than assuming family reunification is automatically possible.

A return program that complies with Spanish law could alleviate the pressure on Spain's child-protection systems, while a return without proper safeguards could face legal challenges. The argument is not simply about Morocco's willingness to accept its nationals back, but whether Spain and Morocco can provide the necessary documentation, identification, and individual assessments to make lawful returns possible.