The government of Ceuta is preparing additional accommodations for nearly a thousand underage migrants as the city grapples with a significant increase in their numbers.
Following a mass arrival of migrants last Thursday, the city is expanding its reception capabilities by reorganizing existing facilities and equipping an industrial building and a warehouse. These locations are intended to house 862 underage migrants currently under the care of local authorities.
Authorities indicate that “some children may still be on the streets,” but their numbers have not yet been counted. In Ceuta, officials anticipate that the total number of minors could rise to approximately a thousand, prompting the city to request increased funding from the central government to address the emergency.
Accommodation and Relocation
Until the new facilities are fully operational, expected “within the next few hours or days,” the children will remain in existing city centers. According to presidential advisor Alberto Gaite, who oversees minors, the current conditions are “somewhat crowded.”
Minors who initially slept near the entrance of the warehouse at the El Tarajal border have already been relocated. There have been no emergency transfers of children to mainland Spain in recent days due to compliance with necessary procedures, but authorities plan to initiate such transfers.
City services, experienced in assisting underage migrants arriving by sea, have intensified their efforts to provide children with food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. “We are preparing resources to provide them with the most comfortable conditions,” Gaite noted.
While some minors remain on the streets, authorities are actively searching for them. Younger children, whose ages are clear, are being placed in specialized centers, while older minors are temporarily housed in other facilities. Officials in Ceuta also acknowledge that the number of minors may continue to rise, as some initially stay with relatives or acquaintances before seeking assistance from city services.
Transfer of Minors and Overcrowding of Centers
Since the implementation of a mechanism for transferring minors at the end of September last year, 655 children have been transported to mainland Spain. “In mid-July, we had only about 200 minors,” Gaite explained. Since then, their numbers have surged, reaching 862 as of this Monday.
The Ceuta government emphasizes that it had previously warned of a “significant” influx of underage migrants. “We warned that the situation was getting complicated and that something could happen,” the advisor stressed.
In the coming days, authorities will begin processing new transfers of minors in accordance with Royal Decree-Law/2025, which facilitates the quicker distribution of children among regions. “We have nowhere to place them,” Gaite said, adding that this mechanism must continue to alleviate the burden on Ceuta.
The normal capacity of Ceuta’s centers, as established by the Ministry of Youth and Children, is only 29 places. Currently, occupancy has reached approximately 3000%, or 2865% of the calculated capacity. “This is an unacceptable situation; it exceeds all our capabilities and requires the fastest possible response,” Gaite stated.
One of the new facilities will be a large industrial warehouse in the El Tarajal area, similar to one used in 2024 during a previous surge of underage migrants. At that time, as now, Ceuta authorities indicated they could not manage such a load alone and required assistance from the central government.
According to: El País
