Marrakech- A new report released by the Committee of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child notes that many Moroccan children are deprived of a family environment.
In particular, the committee is concerned that article 490 of the Moroccan Criminal Code punishes sexual relations outside marriage, resulting in dozens of babies being abandoned every day in the country.
The committee also expressed deep concern at the stigmatization and social rejection of single mothers in Morocco, of whom one third are adolescents. It also expressed concern over the serious consequences of this social rejection for their children, many of whom do not have identification documents or birth certificates, resulting in them having no legal existence.
The Committee’s report urged the Moroccan government to repeal article 490 and to provide unmarried mothers with support to enable them to take care of their children. It also called on the government to protect the rights of pregnant teenagers, adolescent mothers, and their children.
Moroccan Act 14-05, concerning the opening and administration of social welfare institutions, is noted as positive, but the law has not been effectively implemented.
The UN Committee notes that the number of children deprived of a family environment is growing, as the number of institutions has grown since 2005. It notes that two thirds of children are placed in institutions solely on the basis of poverty. Financial resources given to social protection establishments do not cover the needs of beneficiaries. Two thirds of abandoned children are in the care of such associations. They are frequently moved to different associations because children are grouped together by age.
Untrained staff and a lack of monitoring leave children vulnerable to violence and abuse. Children are often separated from their siblings, and many live in precarious situations in hospitals, the report adds, the UN reports says It stresses that alternatives to institutions (such as kinship care, foster care, and the strengthening of families) can prevent committing children to such institutions.
On adoption, the Committee notes that the legal status of children in Kafalah remains precarious, adding that the law does not provide for the psychological evaluation of applicants before granting it.
It also does not give priority to the extended family and does not contain a follow-up after placement in Kafalah. It also highlights instances when girls were exploited and used in domestic labor.
The Committee expressed its concern regarding Circular 40S/2 which, it says, contradicts the best interests of the child by prohibiting a non-resident from adopting a Moroccan child. In this regard, it recommends that the Moroccan government amend its legislation to bring the Kafalah system into compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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