The chairman of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, called on Monday in Ceuta for the swift and immediate return of migrants to Morocco , including minors where legally permissible. He also called on Morocco, as a partner of the European Union, to honour its commitments. Weber referred to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which, he said, has provided the framework for returns and cooperation with “safe third countries” since summer 2026. He presented Morocco’s designation as a safe third country as his own position.
Weber spoke in Ceuta alongside local representatives of the Partido Popular. He linked his demand to a warning that the European Union must stabilise its external borders. At the same time, Spanish and EU law require the state to Minors provide special protection. Returns can therefore only be considered after an individual assessment, particularly where family ties, vulnerability or a claim to asylum are involved.
The Ceuta City Council and the Partido Popular have been calling for weeks for faster border procedures and returns following border crossings, where legally possible. Representatives of the Spanish central government, by contrast, stress the priority of child protection, registration and accommodation, as well as transfers to mainland Spain, depending on capacity. Brussels recently reminded Spain of its duty to provide comprehensive protection for minors; the European Union rejects blanket returns without individual assessments.
In practice, unclear identities, missing documents and differing practices between the authorities on each side make prompt processing difficult. Spanish officials report that Morocco does not respond at short notice to every request for readmission. Rabat, for its part, regularly points to procedural issues and the need to establish family ties beyond doubt.
Weber bases his demands politically on the Pact on Migration and Asylum. However, legal implementation remains the responsibility of the member states and depends on effective bilateral procedures. It remains to be seen whether Morocco will honour broader commitments at short notice and whether returns can be carried out on a larger scale. What is clear is that decisions must comply with Spanish law, EU law and international obligations. The situation in Ceuta is therefore a test of the practical implementation of European migration policy at a sensitive external border.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).