EU Supports Repatriation of Unaccompanied Migrant Minors From Ceuta
The Commission said returns of people illegally staying in Ceuta are covered by EU law, after Spanish estimates put the influx at about 72,000.
- On Tuesday, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert declared the priority is to "ensure a swift return of all those who illegally remain in Ceuta" to Morocco, confirming EU backing for Spanish repatriation efforts.
- Following a July 30 influx of around 72,000 people, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska estimated last week that approximately 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, including 1,898 minors.
- Returns are regulated under "the return directive" and the upcoming "EU return regulation," while Moroccan authorities indicated earlier this month they are ready to cooperate with Spain to facilitate repatriations.
- European Commissioner Magnus Brunner wrote on Monday that Spain performs "important and necessary work" securing external borders, as Spanish authorities pledged to return all migrants to their country of origin.
- The European Commission is working with platforms "to counter criminal networks spreading disinformation" and "to strengthen the fight against migrant smuggling," while reiterating readiness to deploy Frontex and Europol.
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27 Articles
Brussels Says All Migrants Still Illegally in Ceuta Must Be Returned to Morocco, Minors Included
The European Commission said on Aug. 18 that it expects all migrants still living illegally in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta to be returned to Morocco, and that European Union law allows unaccompanied minors to be sent back as well. “The priority is now for the Spanish and for the Moroccan authorities to maintain control of the situation and to ensure the swift return of all those who illegally remain in Ceuta,” Markus Lammert, the Com…
Brussels on Tuesday outlined the path it believes Spain should take to resolve the situation of the thousands of migrants still residing irregularly in Ceuta after the mass influx at the end of July: their return to Morocco. The European Commission also clarified one of the most sensitive points of the debate in Spain: unaccompanied foreign minors can also be returned, provided that the safeguards established by EU law are respected. Read more
France 24 followed unaccompanied migrant minors still present in Ceuta for a night. Between fear, cold, and waiting, young Moroccans in search of a better life shared the poignant details of a story that led them to be stranded in the Spanish enclave.
The European Commission makes it clear that EU law supports the return of all migrants who crossed the gate in Ceuta at the end of July, including unaccompanied minors. This is what its Home Affairs spokesman, Markus Lammert, pointed out, who recalled that EU law does provide for their return and ensured that the European Commission's priority is that the Moroccan authorities "maintain control of the situation and ensure the rapid return of all …
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