Spanish minister says most unaccompanied migrant children in Ceuta intend to stay

Sira Rego, Spain’s Minister of Youth and Childhood, told Cadena Ser that roughly 500 to 700 migrant minors remain on the streets of Ceuta and that the majority intend to stay in Spain, protected by existing law. She accused the PP of using the influx for political purposes and urged the Ceuta authorities to overcome coordination failures in child-care responsibilities. Rego said the government has prepared the first family reunification files for these children, but Morocco has not responded to the 600 earlier requests.

She highlighted the need to move the children to the mainland to free up shelter space in Ceuta. In a separate interview, Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy, said that each day 150-200 migrants voluntarily return to Morocco, with 160 doing so in the last day. He expressed hope that most will be relocated within weeks and that return procedures will soon begin.