Spanish authorities have significantly revised downward the number of unaccompanied minors registered in the North African enclave of Ceuta following a mass arrival of migrants from Morocco last month. The Interior Ministry confirmed that duplicate entries in police databases had inflated the original figure.
On 18 August, police reported that 2,168 minors had been located, identified, and placed under the care of Ceuta's child protection services since the influx began on 30 July. After a thorough review, that number now stands at approximately 1,500. The revised total also includes minors who were already in the system before the recent surge.
The ministry cautioned that the figure could still change as ongoing identification procedures are completed. For now, the minors remain in Ceuta, where authorities are weighing options including transferring them to other Spanish regions, as the city's reception capacity is stretched, or returning them to their countries of origin in certain cases.
Vulnerable children from conflict zones
Among the minors are children and teenagers from countries such as Chad and Sudan, both of which are grappling with armed conflict and humanitarian crises. Save the Children has noted that some of these young people may be entitled to international protection under Spanish and EU law.
The organisation has also drawn attention to the heightened risks faced by women and girls in this situation, including forced marriage, sexual violence, and trafficking. These concerns are central to the individual assessments that must be conducted before any decision on their future.
Government to meet regions over transfers
Spain's central government has convened a meeting with the country's autonomous regions for Thursday to discuss the redistribution of minors from territories where reception systems, including Ceuta's, are under severe pressure. The agenda also includes the transfer of €25 million to Ceuta to bolster its capacity to care for the minors.
However, regional governments controlled by the conservative Popular Party have voiced opposition to the proposed distribution system. The coalition governments of Aragon, Extremadura, and Castile and León, where the far-right Vox party holds responsibility for children's services, have announced they will not attend the meeting.
Another option under consideration is the return of some minors to their countries of origin, but this is subject to strict legal safeguards. Returns can only proceed after an individual assessment determines that it is in the child's best interests. In practice, such returns are rare, and Spain's Supreme Court has previously ruled that safeguards under Spanish immigration law must be strictly observed, including the obligation to examine each child's individual circumstances.
The situation in Ceuta remains a flashpoint in Spain's broader migration policy, with the government also working to align its asylum rules with the EU pact as the standoff continues. The coming days will be crucial in determining how the minors are cared for and whether a consensus can be reached among the regions.
