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Morocco is willing to receive its citizens who are in an irregular situation on French territory. «Today, we are seeking to accelerate the issuance of laissez-passer in coordination with French authorities to ensure rapid identification and facilitate the return of irregular migrants», stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs in an interview with the weekly magazine Le Point.
«Following the directives of high Moroccan authorities, consulates have received instructions to collaborate closely with police prefectures and optimize this process».
However, the head of diplomacy noted that Morocco's cooperation alone is not sufficient to facilitate the return of irregular migrants, pointing out a «loophole». «Take the example of unaccompanied minors. In June of this year, a mission was dispatched to France to proceed with their identification; after four months, it turned out that two-thirds of the 717 minors interviewed were not of Moroccan origin. However, even when Morocco wished to repatriate those who were Moroccan, the process ran into restrictions imposed by the juvenile judge, who prohibits the transfer of minors until they reach the age of majority. This loophole, exploited by human trafficking networks, allows non-deportable minors to move freely in Europe», he lamented.
He also recalled that «a mission of French judges was even invited in October 2018 to visit child protection centers. Following this field visit by French judges, a procedural framework was validated to regulate the return of unaccompanied minors, within the scope of judicial cooperation between France and Morocco».
In his speech to the Moroccan Parliament, the French president addressed irregular migration. Emmanuel Macron called for «the necessity of natural and fluid cooperation in consular matters. Everyone can see that this issue is also a matter of mutual trust. For many French people, it represents one of the strongest expectations. We need more results».
