Unaccompanied Moroccan minors in Ceuta face dire conditions as authorities begin registration
Thousands of unaccompanied children are living on the streets of Ceuta after a massive migrant crossing, with limited food, sanitation and medical care, while Spanish and Moroccan officials grapple with protection and repatriation procedures.
On the morning of 1 August police vehicles were stationed at the Tarajal industrial area in Ceuta, where a converted warehouse housed a large number of unaccompanied Moroccan minors. The children had arrived following a massive crossing on 30‑31 July that saw more than 70,000 migrants reach the Spanish enclave.
Spanish government figures place the number of minors still living on the streets at about 2,500, while local non‑governmental organisations put the figure closer to 4,000. Save the Children reports that roughly 1,500 of the children are currently receiving child‑protection services.
Living conditions are extremely poor. The makeshift settlements lack basic services, toilets and sufficient food, leading to infections, scabies and, in August, two boys collapsed from heat and untreated illness. A 17‑year‑old named Reda said he has no desire to return to Morocco, explaining that he came hoping to sit his high‑school exams and try out for a football team.
Khaled, another minor, recounted an incident in which armed youths from the El Principe neighbourhood attacked, wounding several friends and resulting in one death. Manal, a 16‑year‑old girl, said she hid in sewers while gunfire erupted and now sleeps in a makeshift tent near the border after leaving a police‑run centre she described as violent. Mohammed, also 16, explained that the youths have to urinate near the sea and wash with seawater because there are no toilets.
The Ceuta‑based NGO Luna Blanca delivers food once a day, but the amount is insufficient for the group’s needs. Spanish authorities have begun registering the unaccompanied minors, and the minister for territorial policy, Angel Victor Torres, reported that around 1,400 minors have been entered into the child‑protection system.
Under Spanish law each case must undergo an individual assessment, which prevents a collective return to Morocco. Immigration lawyer Basem Salem stressed that identity verification, family background and the child’s best interests must be examined before any repatriation. Moroccan officials led by Abdellatif Wahbi pledged cooperation, with consulates assisting in identifying the minors.
Funding and future planning
The Spanish government has allocated €25 million to help Ceuta manage the influx of minors. The Ministry of Youth and Children plans a conference in late August to decide how resources will be shared between central and local authorities.
Each morning hundreds of youths line up outside the police station seeking placement in Spain’s child‑protection system, while others wait in warehouses, on the beach or in nearby hills for decisions.
