Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has urged against demonizing Morocco over the presence of Moroccan vessels in waters near Ceuta during a migrant influx on July 30, saying such incidents can happen, Spanish outlet El Debate reported.
Speaking at an event organized by the Nueva Economía Fórum in Madrid on Friday, Torres stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with Morocco, warning that a deterioration in bilateral ties would affect Spain’s border territories.
He also cautioned against making accusations against Morocco without evidence, calling for “responsibility and rigor” in public statements.
Torres said around 200 migrants were removed Thursday from garages, rooftops and homes in Ceuta’s El Príncipe neighborhood.
Since Aug. 10, a total of 13,101 people have been returned to Morocco, according to El Debate.
The report added that authorities had made nearly 8,000 places available for migrants, of which 6,100 were occupied. Officials have also assessed 5,400 adults and 310 minors.
Torres said processing migrants’ applications takes around 12 weeks, with procedures for the first group of migrants who underwent initial assessments scheduled to begin Nov. 20.
Addressing the situation of unaccompanied minors, Torres said electoral considerations were influencing Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas’ position. Vivas had initially supported transferring the children to other Spanish regions but later opposed the move and called for their return to Morocco.
Torres said 3,434 unaccompanied minors were registered under Ceuta’s child protection system.
Of those, 114 have been transferred to mainland Spain to reunite with family members, while another 181 have been relocated to other regions under immigration law, according to the report.
Authorities have also sent 63 files to Morocco to explore the possibility of family reunification, but had yet to receive a response.
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