Spain confirms migrant minors in Ceuta will stay as ministers condemn street violence

Universal protection for migrant minors

Spanish Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego announced on Monday that most unaccompanied migrant minors who entered Ceuta will remain in Spain under statutory protections. Speaking on Cadena SER, Rego stated that between 500 and 700 minors currently remain on the streets of the autonomous city following entries recorded on 30 and 31 July. Spanish legislation guarantees universal protection and legal equality before the law to all children within the country regardless of nationality. Rego explained that many arrived after fleeing extreme conditions and violence in their countries of origin, making state protection a legal duty.

There is a law that protects them, because in our country, and I say this with much pride, a child's nationality and origin do not matter, they have universal protection.

Stalled family reunification procedures

The Ministry of Youth and Children expects to finalize the first administrative files for family reunification within days. Under the European Union Migration and Asylum Pact, the procedure includes an assessment report from the minor's legal representative before submission. Rego noted that previous efforts to coordinate returns encountered an absence of communication from Rabat. Spanish authorities previously submitted 600 inquiries to Moroccan officials regarding unaccompanied children without receiving any formal response. This lack of bilateral communication prevents returns even when both the minor and their family request reunification.

Previously 600 files had been processed, Morocco had been consulted about 600 files of minors, and we do not have any type of response.

Jurisdiction and funding disputes in Ceuta

Rego assigned responsibility for unsheltered minors to the autonomous government led by Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas. The central government rejected opening additional state-run accommodation centers in Ceuta, stating that child welfare competence belongs exclusively to the autonomous city. Rego emphasized that Ceuta receives 90 million euros to operate its reception system and provide immediate shelter. The minister stated that she had previously collaborated well with Vivas before the late-July border entries, but condemned what she described as a political reversal driven by party directives. She called for thorough self-criticism across all regional administrations holding legal guardianship responsibilities rather than systematic political resistance.

Political reactions following street violence

Tensions in Ceuta escalated on Sunday when a crowd attacked a car carrying Ceuta Assembly deputy Julia Ferreras, activist Rafael Borrego, and lawyer Sofía Cánovas. Protesters threw stones and kicked the vehicle, mistaking its occupants for members of the Pamplona-based non-governmental organization Negu Gorriak/Derecho a Techo, who had announced plans to assist migrants in the city. The Basque association had publicly announced travel to the autonomous city to defend immigrant rights, prompting protests among local residents before the vehicle was intercepted. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the assault, stating that violence is unacceptable and praising humanitarian workers deployed in Ceuta.

We live in a democratic society that has cost us a lot to build. We cannot remain indifferent to the normalization of hate.

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, speaking on Catalunya Ràdio, and Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, speaking on TVE, warned against far-right disinformation and violent rhetoric targeting migrants. Rego condemned public discourse framing migrant arrivals as an invasion, arguing that rhetoric calling to hunt migrants generates street violence and disrupts local coexistence.