Unaccompanied teen migrants linger in Ceuta’s shelters, caught between adulthood and childhood

In Ceuta’s El Príncipe district and the Trampolín beach, unaccompanied minors like Ayman, Zayd and Abdelhamid sleep on the ground, hidden from military patrols and without basic amenities. Their hopes range from learning to write and studying tourism in Barcelona to bringing their families across the border, yet none have accessed a dedicated minors’ centre after months of waiting. The city’s rapid construction of temporary shelters focused on younger children, women and adult men, excluding most teenage boys who now occupy informal settlements or slip into adult-only facilities.

With limited food from Cruz Roja and harsh temperature swings, some teens, such as Wahib, have started makeshift barbershops to earn a few euros per client. Others, like Adam and Mohamed, cling to visions of work in Spain or Ibiza, while the looming age of majority threatens to push them toward deportation if they remain unaccompanied.