Hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children remain stranded in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta after a large-scale border crossing from neighbouring Morocco, overwhelming local reception facilities and leaving many minors without stable shelter or support.
Spanish authorities are working to care for the children under national child protection laws, while aid agencies warn that overcrowding, limited resources and uncertainty over their future continue to pose significant humanitarian challenges.
More than 800 unaccompanied minors are among the thousands of migrants who remain in Ceuta after a mass crossing that saw people swim around border barriers separating the Spanish territory from Morocco.
Authorities estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants have remained in the enclave after many others were returned or voluntarily crossed back into Morocco.
Several children arriving in Ceuta have recounted traumatic experiences during the journey, including witnessing relatives drown while attempting to reach Spanish territory.
A 17-year-old girl from Tangier told the Associated Press that she saw Spanish officers recover the body of her eight-year-old brother after he drowned during the crossing. She also became separated from her mother while making the journey.
“I saw people stepping on the dead,” she said through a translator. “Now we are children begging on the street.”
After discovering that a government-run shelter for vulnerable youths had reached capacity, the teenager said she has depended on local residents for food and temporary accommodation.
Spanish law requires protection for unaccompanied children Under Spanish immigration law, adult migrants may apply for asylum, although humanitarian protection is rarely granted to Moroccan nationals.
Those whose applications are unsuccessful may face deportation proceedings. However, Article 35 of Spain’s 2000 law governing the rights of foreign nationals requires authorities to provide immediate protection and care to migrant children who arrive without a parent or legal guardian.
Once identified, unaccompanied minors must be transferred to Spain’s child protection services. An Associated Press journalist witnessed Spanish soldiers escorting a Moroccan boy who was crying and pleading not to be returned across the border. After residents insisted the child was a minor, authorities transferred him to the Spanish Civil Guard rather than repatriating him.
Most Moroccan adults who entered Ceuta during the border surge have since returned voluntarily or been sent back by Spanish authorities. Those who remain include migrants from several countries, including Sudan, Palestinians from Gaza, Afghanistan and other African nations, many of whom are seeking international protection.
Ceuta’s main migrant reception centre, which has capacity for around 600 people, remains overcrowded. Aid workers and journalists from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse reported shortages of food and essential supplies as authorities continue to manage the humanitarian response.
Many migrants are sleeping outdoors on beaches, streets and surrounding hillsides, where they wait in difficult conditions while hoping to continue their journey toward mainland Europe, visible across the narrow stretch of the Mediterranean Sea.
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