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Rabat – The Spanish political party Podemos has called on authorities in Spain to take the “necessary procedures” to stop the repatriation of 23 unaccompanied minors to Morocco, El Pais reported.
The political party submitted a letter to the ombudsman, who must appear “in the Office of Children Prosecutor and the Central Alien Police Station” to check details of the procedure and to ensure the minors’ rights are respected.
The Save the Children NGO also sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior, the government, and the ombudsman, condemning the planned repatriation. The letter, according to the Spanish news outlet, asked that the deportation be abolished unless the children’s rights to security and welfare is guaranteed in Morocco.
Earlier this week, the Spanish and Moroccan government agreed on the initial phase of a program to repatriate unaccompanied Moroccan minors.
El Pais reported that the Child Prosecution Office in Madrid summoned 23 minors for a Moroccan delegation to interview.
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In addition to Save the Children and Podemos, several other associations and NGOs condemned the new joint repatriation measure. The Spanish Network of Immigration and Refugee Aid tweeted a call that “the process of deportation be stopped immediately.”
The network described the move as “unfair and illegal.”
The measure is in line with an agreement Morocco and Spain signed in March 2013 to improve border surveillance and readmission of undocumented migrants.
Podemos is also known for opposing Morocco’s territorial integrity by supporting the separatist claims of the Polisario Front over Western Sahara.
