Key Statistics on Migrant Returns and Child Protection
The Spanish Ministry of Territorial Policy has reported that from August 10 to 31, a total of 3,519 migrants voluntarily returned to Morocco from Ceuta. In the same timeframe, 214 expulsions were recorded, as disclosed during a press conference following the council of ministers on September 1 in Madrid, by Minister Ángel Víctor Torres. Additionally, the Ministry of Youth has identified 1,612 minors who have been registered and are under the care of Ceuta's protection system administered by Madrid. Of these minors, 1,129 arrived during the massive influx at the end of July, while approximately 500 were already present before this period. The exact number of children and adolescents who remain unregistered is still unknown, with Torres acknowledging that providing an accurate figure is 'impossible' for both the Spanish government and the 'local authority'. This uncertainty is largely attributed to the lack of designated areas for minors, which falls under the jurisdiction of the autonomous city.
Changes in Reception Facilities and Financial Support
In a recent council meeting, the ministers approved modifications to the royal decree, altering the list of designated reception sites. Five sports complexes, a military hospital, an old mill, and a gymnasium were removed from this list, making way for port areas in Ceuta and plots managed by the Ministry of Housing, alongside the K-8 barracks, with materials expected to arrive 'this very week'. This decision was made 'with maximum consensus' to minimize disruption to local residents, explained the minister, who emphasized the necessity of having designated spaces to facilitate registrations, returns, and the closure of administrative cases. Over 3,400 places have already been opened for this purpose.
When questioned about the immediate repatriation of minors, Torres described such a prospect as 'false' and 'impossible', asserting that anyone advocating for it is engaging in 'populist rhetoric'. He reminded the public that there are still 600 cases of migrant minors from before July 30 and 31 that remain unresolved on the Moroccan side. The Moroccan government has been 'clear' in its intention to see all individuals who entered on those two days return, he noted, adding that family reunification procedures will be completed, although these cases are 'not straightforward'.
Furthermore, the council of ministers has allocated an extraordinary budget of €62.958 million to the Ministry of Youth and Childhood, headed by Sira Rego, for the care of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents present in the autonomous city. This funding will cover reception, legal assistance, and psychosocial, educational, and health follow-up, as stated by the department. This allocation follows a previous €25 million budget approved the week prior and €5.5 million granted to Ceuta in mid-July, bringing the total for the year to approximately €93.5 million.
By August 31, a total of 109,600 food kits had been distributed to migrants. The Territorial Policy Minister characterized the situation as 'normalized', with exceptions noted for August 25 and 26— the first day due to 'internal circumstances', and the second as the Red Cross volunteers 'felt threatened', according to the organization itself. He clarified that the incidents reported by the media occurred on August 27, but the meal distribution was still able to proceed that day.
As reported by barlamane.com.
