Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi demanded the return of all unaccompanied Moroccan migrant children currently in Spanish territory following the massive migrant invasion of Ceuta.
Ouahbi reportedly stated he holds Spain responsible over the face of all Moroccan minors currently in Spanish territory — affirming that it is Morocco who can guarantee their best future.
His demands come at a time when Spanish authorities are finalizing plans to distribute the hundreds of minors currently in Ceuta to mainline Spain territories despite the rejection of several autonomous communities and the anti-mass migration VOX party.
According to figures reported by Spanish outlets, it is estimated that about 1,400 unaccompanied minors were among the tens of thousands illegal migrants that stormed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta between late July and early August — a dramatic invasion of Spanish territory that plunged Ceuta into a widespread and ongoing crisis with the potential of further jeopardizing all of Europe’s security.
Abandoned migrant children are seen asleep near the Government Delegationâs headquarters on 1 August 2026 in Ceuta, Spain. it is estimated some 1,400 unaccompanied minors were among the tens of thousands illegal migrants that stormed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta between late July and early August(Marcos Moreno/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Justice Minister Ouahbi, speaking with the Moroccan online news service Hespress, reportedly affirmed that Morroco will use all “legal and political” venues to achieve the return of the Moroccan minors, as demanded by the government in Rabat. Per the Arab-language news service, Ouahbi expressed, “Morroco is commitment to recovering its children and minors in Spain, including minors who recently entered Ceuta or other centers.”
“Morocco is not prepared to abandon its children, youth and teenagers,” the Minister asserted — a stance that he reportedly detailed, includes all Moroccan minors, not just those in Ceuta. Per Hespress, Morocco and Spain’s Justice Ministers have engaged in talks to address the minors’ current situation and for the establishment of mechanisms towards verifying their identities and their return home.
Although the Spanish government claims that about 2,500 illegal migrants are still in Ceuta following the invasion, the president of the city’s autonomous government, Juan Jesús Vivas, stated over the weekend that between “8,000 to 11,000” migrants still remain in Ceuta.
The massive illegal migrant invasion almost doubled Ceuta’s some 87,000 population in just a few hours. The hundreds of unaccompanied minors that entered Ceuta during the chaotic events massively overwhelmed all of the city’s minor protection services — which, according to Antena 3, have a maximum capacity of just 29 slots. Effectively, Ceuta in just a few hours, found its minor services handling a pressure 48 times higher its maximum ordinary capacity.
Although the Spanish government, led by socialist Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez, has reportedly “prioritized” the return to of the minors to their respective families, the government is currently planning to transfer the hundreds of minors overwhelming Ceuta’s services to other centers across Spanish mainland communities — a plan reportedly based on the terms on decrees and regulations signed by the Spanish government in recent years.
Thousands of Illegal Migrants from Morocco Flood into Spanish Territory
Over the past days, several Spanish autonomous communities have expressed their rejection to the prospective arrival of more minor migrants to their cities. Per Antena 3, Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Canarias, Extremadura, and Aragón are among the list of communities that oppose to the relocation plans. Similarly, the VOX party has fiercely stood in rejection of the plans and has demanded that the minors are sent back to Morocco. Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP), on the other hand, is reportedly urging VOX to comply with the distribution of the migrants, citing joint governance agreements signed upon by the two countries.
As Breitbart News reported, the dramatic situation in Ceuta in the aftermath of the yet-to-be resolved invasion prompted the city to establish temporary shelters in soccer fields for women and girls that entered the Spanish city during the invasion to protect them from male migrants amid a growing cases of rape.
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