Morocco will address the MENAS problem
The diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco seems to have a positive conclusion. The Moroccan Government will adopt measures to repatriate the MENAS (Unaccompanied Foreign Minors) who live at their mercy in different countries of the European Union, especially Spain and France. Their precarious situation, between charity and delinquency, has these days become one of the most controversial issues facing the authorities and Morocco's reputation.
The solution to the problem was personally ordered in the last few hours by King Mohammed VI, in an order communicated to the ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs. The heads of these two departments immediately replied positively. In the search for a solution, they announced that they will contact the governments of the countries where children and young people under eighteen who can prove their Moroccan origin and are not accompanied by family members or other adults reside.
In further explanations, it has been specified that only "MENAS" whose Moroccan origin is clear, and that the repatriation or protection measures will not affect minors from other countries who entered Europe through illegal emigration. The number of people affected is unknown and difficult to determine. The latest data available in Spain is from 2019 and puts the number of identified minors at 12,301. Currently, it is believed that there are more. It is not clear that they are all Moroccans: there are also Algerians and people from other Maghreb countries.
The operation anticipates some difficulties, starting with the resistance of the vast majority of the minors concerned to being evacuated. There are also some who have found protection from Spanish families, who will resist losing them, and in other cases, the Moroccan authorities will have to overcome the resistance of their parents who are used to the fact that in Spain, as in France and other countries, they are raising them, educating them and generating residency rights when they become adults.