Moroccan FM: Swedish Authorities Deny ’Systematic Abduction’ of Muslim Children

Rabat – Ambassadors from Arab and Muslim countries met with senior officials from Sweden who “denied all accusations of a systematized government policy to remove Arab and Muslim diaspora children from their families,” Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, said while answering questions from MPs.

The statement comes in the wake of news reports indicating that Swedish social services removed two children of Moroccan origin and placed them under the custody of foster families. The news sparked outrage among activists and some Islamic NGOs that accused Swedish authorities of “systematically abducting” Muslim children and putting them under the custody of Christian families.

In a written question to Bourita, the MP asked about the government’s efforts to address “the suffering of the Moroccan diaspora in Sweden in the face of discrimination and the abduction of their children to place them in Christian or homosexual foster families,” the note is quoted as saying in news reports.

The note further adds that “a few dozen Moroccan families had had their children taken away from them, according to unofficial estimates.”

Responding to the question, Bourita said that Morocco’s foreign affairs ministry is following closely and with “great interest” the case through the Moroccan embassy in Sweden.

The minister added that the embassy is in contact with the members of the Moroccan diaspora in Sweden to understand the circumstances surrounding the removal of children from the custody of their families.

Reports indicate that the investigation concluded that only two Moroccan families had their children removed by childcare services, as opposed to rumors of a “systematic abduction.”

The Moroccan embassy in Sweden has contacted the families, as well as their relatives in Morocco, to “closely follow these two cases,” the minister explained.

The embassy is also in contact with Swedish authorities to shed light on the two cases and determine whether the removal of the two children has a legal basis. A series of urgent meetings were also held with all Moroccan associations active in Sweden, he added.

In February, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs spoke out against the allegations.

“1. A disinformation campaign is currently under way on various social media – both in Sweden and abroad – alleging that Swedish social services kidnap Muslim children. This information is wrong. It is seriously misleading and aims to create tensions and spread mistrust,” a statement on the ministry’s Twitter reads.

2. Swedish social services do not kidnap children. All children in Sweden are protected and cared for equally under Swedish legislation, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. You can read more about Swedish social services here: https://t.co/gUt0Fr3iR0
— Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (@SweMFA) February 11, 2022

Noting the legal process underlying the decision to remove children from their families, the Swedish ministry explained that social services “do not kidnap children,” adding that “all children in Sweden are protected and cared for equally under Swedish legislation, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”