Agadir \u2013 Morocco is demanding the return of Moroccan minors currently in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, with Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi accusing Spanish authorities of repeatedly obstructing efforts to repatriate the Moroccan minors.<\/p>\n
Speaking<\/a> in an interview with German broadcaster DW, Ouahbi said Morocco has been seeking the return of the minors for years and remains committed to reaching an agreement with Spain on the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are demanding their return. This is not an issue that emerged today, yesterday, or because of the latest incident,\u201d Ouahbi said, adding that discussions between Rabat and Madrid have continued without reaching an agreement.<\/p>\n According to the minister, the main disagreement is that Spanish authorities do not want to return the minors. He alleged<\/a> that when Spain agrees to repatriate minors, the process encounters procedural obstacles.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they agree to do so, they present us with files concerning children who are not Moroccan and have other nationalities,\u201d Ouahbi said. \u201cWhen we point out that those children are not Moroccan and identify the Moroccan children whose return we are requesting, they do not bring them, claiming that they could not find them or that they had disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n Ouahbi said Morocco remains committed to bringing the minors back, arguing that the country has a responsibility toward the children and their families.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain committed, and we continue to demand the return of minors to Morocco because we are responsible for our children and for their families, and for protecting them and ensuring their safety,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ouahbi blames Spain for minors\u2019 situation<\/p>\n The Moroccan minister rejected<\/a> the suggestion that Rabat shares responsibility with Spain for the situation facing the minors in Ceuta.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not. We consider the Spanish side responsible for what happened because we warned them,\u201d Ouahbi told DW.<\/p>\n He argued that Morocco had previously warned Spanish authorities that allowing irregular migration involving minors could encourage further attempts to cross the border.<\/p>\n Ouahbi also accused Spanish authorities of changing their position on the return of minors and suggested that political considerations were influencing the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cThey demand the return of the minors and then backtrack on it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt seems that the issue involves more electoral calculations than legal decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Morocco raises concerns over abuse of Moroccan girls<\/p>\n The minister also addressed reports concerning Moroccan girls in Ceuta, including allegations of sexual assault and other forms of abuse.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we are following it. We warned Spain about this,\u201d Ouahbi said, referring to reports about Moroccan minors allegedly suffering abuse.<\/p>\n He said Morocco had repeatedly warned Spanish authorities that the children could be exposed to different forms of exploitation and abuse.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, we are facing a moral and political dilemma,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Ouahbi called on Spain to return the Moroccan minors, stressing that Rabat would receive them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are telling Spain: Return our children to us, and we will receive them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no desire to punish any child. They are not responsible for their actions. We simply want to return them to their families.\u201d<\/p>\n Ouahbi rejects minors\u2019 right to decide their return<\/p>\n Asked how Morocco could convince minors who had voluntarily left the country that returning to their families was in their best interests, Ouahbi questioned whether minors should be allowed to make such decisions independently.<\/p>\n \u201cCan an adolescent or a minor decide their own future? The family decides,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The minister argued that children should not be separated from their families under the justification of protecting their interests.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot separate a child from their family under the pretext that it is in the child\u2019s best interest,\u201d Ouahbi said. \u201cThis is a crime. Separating a child from their family is a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n He further argued that international law does not permit such separation and maintained that Morocco, as the children\u2019s country of origin, has a responsibility to protect them.<\/p>\n