Moroccan rights group urges protection for minors near Bab Melilla in Beni Ansar

The Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights has raised the alarm over the situation of minors living on the streets near the Bab Melilla border crossing in Beni Ansar, calling on public authorities and social services to intervene urgently to provide them with shelter and protect them from the dangers they face.

Fouad El Bejjati, secretary of the League's provincial branch in Nador, told Yabiladi that the minors come from various cities across Morocco. Some, he said, hope to cross into Melilla, while others arrive in the area during the annual return of Moroccans living abroad, intending to survive by begging.

El Bejjati added that many of the children abuse substances and sleep rough, while others risk their lives by attempting to climb aboard large buses heading to the port in the hope of reaching Europe.

He said the League has repeatedly alerted the relevant authorities but has yet to receive a response. It is calling for a social assessment to identify the minors and trace their families so that those with relatives can be reunited with them, while those whose families cannot be located should be placed in appropriate care facilities and provided with the social and psychological support they need.