The Spanish government agrees with the autonomous regional authorities to receive almost 200 immigrant minors. On May 17th and 18th, 8,000 migrants, including many small children, illegally crossed the border from Morocco to Ceuta.
Less than a week after thousands of migrants crossed the border en masse, almost all migrants are back in Morocco. Of these, there were also nearly 200 children who arrived in Ceuta unaccompanied by a parent or adult. Both the Spanish government and regional authorities considered it far from humane to send these children back and leave them to their own devices.
Children stay temporarily in shelters in Spanish enclaves
These children are currently staying in protected shelters in Ceuta and some in Melilla. Minister Ione Belarra of Social Law announced the agreement between the Spanish government and the regional authorities on social media on Tuesday.
How many children admitted to Spain?
A total of 188 children, who crossed the border between Morocco and Ceuta unaccompanied, will remain in Spain. The breakdown is as follows: Madrid and Galicia both take in 20 children, followed by Castile and Leon (18), Catalonia (15), Castile-La Mancha (14), Valencia (13), Andalucia (13), the Balearic Islands (11), Asturias (11), Extremadura (11), Aragon (9), Basque Country (8), Cantabria (7), Murcia (7), Navarre (6) and La Rioja (5).
Criticism of Spanish policy from Madrid
All Spanish regions see the need to provide fast and adequate care for the immigrant minors. However, Madrid Minister Escudero yesterday criticised Spain’s migration policy.
During the Espejo Público broadcast, he said “the government’s decisions are taken reactively. There is no clear migration policy and Spain must have a central policy when it comes to receiving minors in such situations.”
