Spain is preparing to relocate about 500 unaccompanied migrant minors from the North African enclave of Ceuta to mainland Spain as authorities seek urgent solutions to the growing pressure on the territory’s child protection system.
The Ministry of Youth and Children is working with the Ceuta authorities on an emergency plan focused particularly on vulnerable girls among the minors who arrived during the mass influx from Morocco at the end of July.
The proposed relocation is intended to provide the children with safer accommodation and access to care. Officials are considering several options, including reception by child protection organisations, foster care and temporary accommodation on the mainland.
The move comes after a large number of migrants entered Ceuta on 30 and 31 July. Spanish authorities said more than 70,000 people crossed into the enclave during the two-day surge, although most subsequently returned to Morocco.
The Interior Ministry said 2,168 minors had been identified in Ceuta by 18 August following the influx. The number of children has placed significant pressure on the city’s already stretched protection facilities.
Spain’s government has said the welfare and protection of unaccompanied children must remain a priority. Earlier this month, Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego said family reunification would be pursued where possible, while children without families would require protection from the Spanish authorities.
The proposed transfer has, however, become politically contentious. Spain’s opposition People’s Party has called for the minors to be returned to Morocco, while the government argues that the children must receive protection under Spanish law.
The plan is expected to involve cooperation between central government, Ceuta, child protection organisations and other Spanish regions as Madrid attempts to ease the pressure on the enclave while providing care for the vulnerable minors.
