World Immigration News

(The Guardian)Spain to allow 500 children in Ceuta to go to mainland in immigration U-turn

Release Date: 2026-08-19
Media: The Guardian
Summary: Spain has reversed its earlier position and decided to transfer about 500 unaccompanied migrant children from Ceuta to the mainland. Most of the estimated 70,000 people who crossed into the Spanish enclave on July 30 have returned to Morocco, but Spanish law requires the state to protect unaccompanied minors until they turn 18.

Hundreds of children have reportedly been living on the streets in Ceuta, prompting the government to develop an emergency plan involving NGOs and child-protection organizations, particularly for vulnerable children and girls. However, some regions governed by the conservative People’s Party and far-right Vox oppose receiving them and argue that the children should be returned to their families.

The European Commission has also said that irregular migrants remaining in Ceuta, including unaccompanied minors, should be returned to Morocco under EU law. The situation is complicated because the latest EU migration pact has not yet been incorporated into Spanish law, leaving Spain’s existing protections for unaccompanied minors in force. The dispute highlights the tension between immigration enforcement and the state’s responsibility to protect vulnerable children.
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