Mr. Josep Piqué
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Plaza de la Provincia, 1
28012 Madrid
Spain

Fax: ++ 3491 577 4433

Dear Minister,

I am writing to express my concern about abuses of children in Ceuta and Melilla described in the Human Rights Watch report, Nowhere to Turn: State Abuses of Unaccompanied Migrant Children by Spain and Morocco. The report documents cases of children who were beaten or ill-treated by Spanish authorities during summary expulsions to Morocco. These summary expulsions violate Article 62(4) of the implementing regulations of Organic Law 4/2000 (as amended), which require that foreign children only be repatriated when children are returned to families or a social welfare agency, and when there is no risk to the child’s well being.

I urge you raise cases of unaccompanied Moroccan migrant children present in Spain with the Moroccan government, and instruct Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials to facilitate the collection of information on these children’s family situation and to facilitate the lodging of complaints against Spanish authorities by children who suffered abuse during expulsions from Spain.

I look forward to receiving your reply, and thank you for your attention to this important human rights matter.

Sincerely,