Spain's government has reversed its position and announced an emergency plan to transfer approximately 500 unaccompanied migrant minors from Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the northern coast of Africa, to the Spanish mainland. The move marks a significant policy shift just weeks after the interior minister had insisted that migrants who entered Ceuta illegally would be returned and would not reach mainland Europe.
The decision follows a mass crossing in late July, when more than 70,000 people swam or waded from Morocco into Ceuta. The vast majority returned to Morocco shortly afterwards, but several thousand remained, including a large proportion of unaccompanied minors. Ceuta's reception facilities are designed to accommodate only around 90 minors, leaving many sleeping on beaches, streets, and even in cemeteries. Spanish health authorities have reported that aid workers assisted five rape victims — all migrants — in recent days, highlighting the acute vulnerability of those stranded.
Under Spanish law, the state has a duty of care towards unaccompanied minors until they turn 18, and in overstretched areas such minors must be redistributed to other regions within 15 days of their cases being processed. The emergency plan, developed by the youth ministry in coordination with the Ceuta regional government and accepted by local authorities as an "extraordinary measure," prioritises the most vulnerable children — girls in particular — and places them under the care of NGOs and child protection agencies rather than transferring legal guardianship to Spain's regional governments. This approach is designed to sidestep political opposition from several regions governed with the support of the far-right Vox party, which have been reluctant or outright opposed to accepting their share of migrant minors.
The announcement came amid competing legal pressures. Hours before Spain confirmed the plan, the European Commission stated that under EU law all irregular migrants remaining in Ceuta — including unaccompanied minors — should be returned to Morocco. The conservative People's party echoed this position, arguing that the children should be reunited with their families and pointing to both EU guidance and Morocco's own calls for the minors' return. The Spanish government, however, maintains that the latest EU immigration pact has not yet been incorporated into Spanish domestic law, meaning existing national legislation protecting unaccompanied minors remains binding.
The episode underscores the broader strains on Spain's migration system. As of last March, more than 21,000 people aged 16 to 23 were under state guardianship, with roughly half coming from Morocco and girls making up only around 8% of the total. The secretary of state for children has been in Ceuta since the weekend working to resolve the crisis, as hundreds of children continue to live on the street and rely on handouts from local residents.