Latest news with #Don'tTouchMyChild
Ya Biladi
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spanish officer accused of exploiting Moroccan minors seeking asylum
The organization Don't Touch My Child revealed that a Spanish police officer exploited Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for assistance with asylum procedures. The organization strongly condemned the acts, expressed full support for the victims, and affirmed its commitment to pursuing legal action in the case. The human rights organization Don't Touch My Child has strongly condemned what it described as «humiliating and unethical practices» involving a Spanish police officer. The condemnation comes after Spanish media revealed this week that the officer had been detained on charges of exploiting Moroccan migrants, including minors, in exchange for facilitating asylum applications or legal status adjustments. According to the organization, the officer, who worked in immigration centers in both Ceuta and the Canary Islands, held suspicious meetings in hotel rooms where he was staying. He allegedly targeted young Moroccans in vulnerable situations, offering help with their asylum procedures in exchange for sexual favors, gifts, or money. The Supreme Court in Madrid has since suspended him from duty for 90 days as a temporary disciplinary measure. Supporting the victims In a statement to Yabiladi, Taib Boucheiba, national coordinator for Don't Touch My Child, said: «The decision of the Spanish judiciary is not strict enough and does not match the gravity of the crime. The accused exploited minors in precarious situations, which constitutes human trafficking». He added, «We condemn this lenient decision». The organization denounced the acts as a violation of human dignity and migrants' rights, especially those of minors, and voiced deep concern over the lack of any formal criminal proceedings in a case of such ethical and humanitarian seriousness. Don't Touch My Child reaffirmed its full support for any victims wishing to come forward and seek justice, whether through national or international courts, stressing the need to protect migrant minors and uphold their human dignity. The organization also called for an urgent criminal investigation into the case, not merely an administrative sanction, and urged Spanish authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations to safeguard the rights of migrants, particularly Moroccan minors. In its conclusion, the organization stated that it is closely monitoring the case and will take all necessary steps to protect Moroccan children wherever they may be, particularly in reception and asylum centers. Boucheiba added that «this is not the first time Moroccan minors have suffered exploitation in Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands. What's different now is that this officer was caught». He explained that the officer allegedly offered to regularize the legal status of Moroccan minors by assisting them with asylum applications that falsely portrayed them as victims of persecution in Morocco. According to Boucheiba, the organization, with the help of supporters in Europe, has filed a lawsuit in Spain against the officer, and is urging Spanish civil society organizations to take such cases seriously and work to address them.
Ya Biladi
29-01-2025
- Health
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan NGO urges mandatory vaccination records in schools to combat measles
The Moroccan children's rights NGO Matkich Waldi (Don't Touch My Child) has urged the mandatory presentation of vaccination records when enrolling or admitting any student in schools, whether public or private. This plea aims to address the growing number of measles infections in Morocco among young children. In a press release sent Wednesday to Yabiladi, the NGO stated that this measure would «ensure the health and safety of our children within educational institutions». In addition to making the presentation of vaccination records mandatory for school enrollment, Matkich Waldi urged the Ministry of National Education to strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Health and ensure proper monitoring of student vaccinations within schools. The NGO also called for «organizing regular school health campaigns to verify that children have received all necessary vaccinations and enforcing strict control measures to ensure compliance by educational institutions, including legal sanctions for non-compliance». It is worth noting that an unexpected surge in measles cases has been affecting Morocco over the past couple of years. Since September 2023, 25,000 measles cases have been recorded in the Kingdom, with 120 deaths attributed to the contagious disease, according to health officials. Children under 12 years old account for almost half of these deaths. Virologists attribute this measles outbreak in Morocco to vaccination issues. Since the Covid-19 health crisis, a global trend of increasing vaccine hesitancy has led to a decline in vaccination coverage rates in most regions and provinces of the Kingdom.
