The Spanish government has reversed its decision and will now allow 500 migrant children in Ceuta to relocate to the mainland. This move comes after the majority of the estimated 70,000 people who crossed into Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the coast of north Africa, on 30 July have returned to Morocco.
Under Spanish law, the state has a duty of care to young, unaccompanied migrants until they reach the age of 18. However, the interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, had previously stated that anyone who illegally enters Ceuta or Melilla will be sent back, and will not remain indefinitely in Ceuta or Melilla.
The transfer of the children to the Spanish mainland is a sensitive topic, with several regions governed jointly by the conservative People’s party and the far-right Vox being reluctant or opposed to receiving their quota. To minimize conflict, the youth ministry is devising an urgent plan under which NGOs and child protection agencies will take charge of the most vulnerable children, particularly girls, without transferring their guardianship to Spain’s regional governments.
Rubén Pérez Correa, the secretary of state for children, has been in Ceuta since Sunday to resolve the situation, in which hundreds of children are living on the street and relying on handouts from Ceuta residents. The government’s plan comes despite the European Commission stating that under EU law, all of the migrants should be returned to Morocco, including unaccompanied minors.
The People’s party has rejected the government plan, arguing that the best place for the children is with their families. The mixed messages partly derive from the fact that the latest European pact on immigration has not yet been incorporated into Spanish law, and therefore Spain’s own legislation on the treatment of unaccompanied minors remains in force.
According to Spain’s ministry of inclusion and migration, as of last March, 21,104 people aged 16-23 were guardians of the state, of whom about 3,500 were under 17, with approximately 50% being from Morocco. Girls made up about 8% of the total.
