In early October, hundreds of teenage migrants formed a line outside a church in Ceuta, Spain, hoping to receive some good news from the visiting Minister of Youth and Childhood. These young individuals, many of whom had been sleeping on cardboard and broken sofas in unsanitary camps or on the streets of this Spanish enclave in North Africa, were yearning for a chance to move to mainland Europe or at least secure a place in a shelter. Among them was a 17-year-old aspiring model from northern Morocco, who crossed into Ceuta at the end of July alongside approximately 80,000 others in what would become one of Spain's deadliest border crises.
"Pray for me!" he implored a reporter from The Associated Press. Instead of meeting with the minister, the teenagers were ushered down a hill to a soccer field to prevent overwhelming her. Within hours, many found themselves back on the streets and hillsides, facing yet another setback. This scene not only highlighted the slow and often improvised response of the Spanish government to the ongoing migration crisis but also underscored the plight of thousands of unaccompanied minors who have arrived in Ceuta. According to Spanish law, these minors are entitled to housing, healthcare, and education, yet experts argue that the government may be passively waiting for many to give up and return home.
The 17-year-old, who preferred to remain anonymous due to his vulnerability, expressed his initial hopes that the situation would be resolved quickly. "I expected it to be a really easy experience. I thought this would last two to three weeks," he shared. However, the reality has been far more challenging. Makeshift camps have deteriorated along the beaches and hillsides since tens of thousands arrived in July, with approximately 140 individuals losing their lives in attempts to cross. While many who successfully crossed moved on within days, authorities lack an accurate count of those who remain.
At the peak of the crisis, a few thousand people were living in a campsite near the beach, where conditions were appalling, with children as young as 13 sleeping and showering among adults who frequently engaged in fights. In other neighborhoods, minors sought refuge in the steep and narrow streets of predominantly Muslim areas. "Our streets are filled with children," noted Ahmed Enfed-Dal, president of a local community association. Spanish prosecutors are currently investigating allegations of torture and mistreatment of migrants, including minors. In September, Amnesty International released a report detailing claims of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment by Spanish soldiers, along with reports of unsafe conditions and alleged sexual abuse of girls.
By early October, the 17-year-old recounted sleeping in a car with other Moroccan teens. Initially, he had slept in a garage with two other minors, where a local resident charged them 15 euros (around $17) per night. Unable to afford the fees, he found himself back on the streets. "People tried to rob me twice and beat me," he said. As the weeks turned into months, he began to question his decision to stay in Ceuta, feeling unable to return to Morocco. Like many Moroccan teens, he explained that his high school diploma offered limited opportunities in his home country. In Tétouan, located just 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Ceuta, he worked with his father as a butcher. He mentioned that his family had encouraged him to remain in Spain, stating, "Morocco is a nice tourist place, but it is not a good place to be a citizen."
The responsibility for unaccompanied minors arriving in Spain falls to regional governments, or in the case of Ceuta, to the city itself. According to Spanish law, a minor can only be returned to their home country under specific circumstances. While the national government has urged Ceuta to process the cases of minors under 18 individually and approved over 90 million euros (approximately 101 million dollars) in funding, the city insists it lacks the necessary resources. Minister Sira Rego acknowledged that most minors in Ceuta wish to stay in Spain, stating, "They are going to stay," in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser. However, Ceuta’s mayor, Juan Vivas, has called on national authorities to find ways to send minors back to Morocco, remarking, "It is easy to give opinions from there, but you have to be here to understand the situation."
Disagreements have also arisen regarding the number of migrants who remain in Ceuta. Following the initial surge at the border, the Spanish Interior Minister claimed that only 2,000 had returned to Morocco. By September, this figure was revised to a maximum of 10,000 migrants. However, the mayor of Ceuta asserts that up to 15,000 individuals remain, acknowledging that this number fluctuates daily. Estimates of unaccompanied minors have also varied, with authorities stating that thousands are still present in the city, though it remains unclear how many are without housing. Human rights organizations have criticized Spain for its failure to ascertain the number of minors currently in Ceuta, with Jennifer Zuppiroli, a migration expert from Save the Children in Spain, stating, "We understand that the protection system is overwhelmed at this time, but that does not excuse the lack of an official registry of all individuals claiming to be minors in the city."
As more minors are admitted into shelters, those still waiting are growing increasingly weary. For weeks, the aspiring model visited the camp near the beach to collect food from the Red Cross. He and dozens of other migrant boys organized small protests, pleading for assistance from authorities. A tattered sign held by children as young as 13 read, "We only want one thing! That Spain protects minors. Long live Spain. Thank you," as traffic rushed by. In early October, Spanish police began demolishing the camp with bulldozers and clearing mountains of trash, while groups of migrants were bused to other locations. Human rights organizations reported that some minors were taken to the border. The 17-year-old communicated via WhatsApp that he knew of several teens whom the police had taken from the beach, with some ending up in shelters. He was disappointed that this occurred on the only day he did not visit the camp.
Fearing that the police would send him back to Morocco, he has been keeping himself hidden. "I feel tired for the first time since I arrived," he expressed. "It has been two months, and we are still living on the streets." As reported by chicagotribune.com.
