Hundreds of Unaccompanied Minors Stranded in Ceuta Without Parents

Hundreds of children and adolescents are stranded in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, without their parents. Local authorities confirmed that approximately 860 unaccompanied minors remain in the city. These young migrants now form a substantial part of the 3,000 to 5,000 individuals estimated to have evaded deportation from Ceuta.

The situation highlights the desperate measures taken by migrants attempting to reach Europe. One 17-year-old from Tangier, Morocco, recounted witnessing her eight-year-old brother drown after their family attempted to swim to Ceuta. She described the chaos, stating, "I watched people step on the bodies." She added, "Now it is we children who are begging on the streets."

“

I watched people step on the bodies. Now it is we children who are begging on the streets.

While adult migrants and refugees can apply for asylum in Spain, the hurdles for Moroccans seeking humanitarian protection are typically very high. Unaccompanied minors, however, are legally entitled to special protection and care from Spanish authorities. Despite this, reports indicate a severe lack of resources, with the city's migration center, designed for 600 people, being completely full. Migrants are reportedly begging for food, and activists suggest authorities may be using deprivation as a tactic to encourage voluntary return to Morocco.

The influx of migrants into Ceuta has been immense, with Moroccan authorities reporting around 40,000 attempts to cross the sea into Ceuta in the past week alone. Tragically, the number of deaths has also been significant, with Morocco reporting eleven fatalities, mostly from drowning, while Spanish authorities estimate the death toll to be at least 72. Some migrants drowned, while others were crushed attempting to breach the border fence and a breakwater.

“

The strategy is that hunger, thirst, and exhaustion will force these people to finally opt for a voluntary return to Morocco.