In recent weeks, the Canary Islands have found themselves in a tense situation involving underage migrants who have applied for asylum. Following a Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo) ruling requiring the Spanish government to house these children in state institutions, large-scale transfers of minors between centers have begun.
Many of them were suddenly moved from familiar environments—schools, families, and communities where they had already started to adapt. Parents and guardians who had supported these children for years are left bewildered: the children are taken overnight, without time for goodbyes or preparation for the changes ahead. This is felt most acutely in Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where the largest centers for minors are located.
Clash of interests: bureaucracy versus human lives
Authorities in the Canary Islands have insisted on the need to redistribute the children, as local centers are overcrowded. However, many of the teenagers have already made friends here, started school, and some have even begun vocational training. For them, moving means losing everything they’ve managed to build in a short time.
Organizations supporting migrants point out that such relocations violate children’s rights and fail to take their individual needs into account. In some cases, teenagers have been forced to withdraw their asylum applications just to stay on the islands. Lawyers and human rights advocates stress that the law requires each case to be considered individually, not handled according to a template.
New centers and an uncertain future
Most minors are sent to the so-called ‘Canarias 50,’ a large center in the archipelago’s capital. There, they undergo interviews to discuss their preferences and future plans. However, the waiting period can stretch on for months, and living conditions in these facilities are far from a family environment. Some children end up staying much longer than promised, which only increases their stress and anxiety.
In cities like Arucas, parents and local residents take to the streets, demanding that children remain in their familiar surroundings. They believe that separating teenagers from their new families and friends deprives them of a genuine chance to integrate. Authorities promise to consider each child’s opinion, but in practice, decisions are made quickly and without taking all circumstances into account.
Questions about procedures and the next steps
Officials admit that paperwork and relocation arrangements are being handled in emergency mode. Some guardians complain that they aren’t even given a chance to say goodbye to the children they’ve supported for months. At the same time, ministry representatives insist that no one is being sent to the mainland against their will, and that special procedures are in place for the most vulnerable groups—girls, young children, and those who clearly want to stay.
Nevertheless, hundreds of teenagers have already found themselves in new centers, with their future remaining uncertain. The question of how to balance legal requirements with the best interests of the children has yet to be resolved. Parents, teachers, and human rights advocates continue to insist that each child’s fate should be decided individually, not by formal criteria.
