Spain faces renewed pressure from the European Commission to protect vulnerable migrant minors in Ceuta, even as EU partners press Madrid to ensure the return to Morocco of irregular migrants who entered the enclave since July. Tensions have grown as Madrid considers relocating around 500 girls from Ceuta to the Spanish mainland, a move it has not formally communicated to Brussels.
On Thursday, a Commission spokesperson confirmed ongoing discussions with the Spanish government and said official details about the planned transfers were still pending. The Commission made clear that safeguarding vulnerable minors is a legal obligation for Spain under EU law. Spanish authorities are responsible for protecting them, including children who have experienced violence or lack family support.
The pressure on Ceuta’s child-protection system is reflected in figures presented by Spain’s Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz. By 21 October, 3,331 migrant minors who arrived during the late-July mass entry had entered the city’s protection system. A total of 288 had been transferred to mainland Spain: 107 through family reunification and 181 to other autonomous communities under Article 35 of Spain’s immigration law. These transfers were placements within Spain, not returns to Morocco.
Spain’s government said that none of the minors in Ceuta had been reunited with families in Morocco as of 20 October. The contrast with adult returns is large: more than 12,700 people were returned to Morocco between 10 August and 20 October, while children’s cases require individual assessment. Spain’s Sectoral Conference on Childhood approved €25 million on 27 August to support care for unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents in Ceuta during 2026.
The caseload kept growing. By 23 October, Ceuta was caring for approximately 3,390 unaccompanied minors and had opened as many as 12 emergency facilities since 1 August. Morocco had not responded to 63 family-reunification files submitted by Spain. Reporting at the time said 114 minors had been transferred to the mainland for family reunification, with other transfers made under the Article 35 distribution mechanism. These figures refer to different reporting dates and transfer categories.
At the same time, Brussels reiterated the expectation shared by most EU member states that irregular migrants who entered Ceuta should be returned to Morocco. Any return of an unaccompanied minor, but, is subject to safeguards: Spain and Morocco’s bilateral structure requires an individualized procedure, with the child’s personal circumstances and best interests guiding any return. Authorities must also establish that the child can be handed over to family or receive appropriate care in the country of return. Irregular entry alone does not permit an automatic return.
Spanish government sources report that many of the minors, some very young, have fled violence and are unwilling to return to Morocco. Some girls have no family or come from unstable backgrounds, making it harder to establish that a safe return is possible. The Commission continues to stress that any action must comply with EU and international law, while the practical outcome for the group of around 500 girls remains unresolved.
The issue has sparked political friction within Spain and across the EU. As highlighted in recent coverage of the Ceuta migrant crisis, national and regional leaders remain divided over whether to prioritize humanitarian protection or strict enforcement of return policies. Ceuta’s government has argued that transfers to mainland Spain could create a “pull effect,” while Spain’s legal structure provides for the distribution of children from territories facing a declared migration emergency. Reporting on 23 October said the first returns to Morocco could begin from 20 November, subject to completion of individual case files and approval by Ceuta’s government.
Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. After the mass crossing at the end of July, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on 4 August that 70,000 of 72,000 arrivals had already returned to Morocco. By 22 September, the Spanish government had identified 2,321 unaccompanied minors in Ceuta and recorded about 7,000 additional voluntary returns and expulsions since 10 August. The different timelines show why adult return figures cannot be applied to children’s cases.
Reuters reported that 262 minors had been transferred to mainland Spain by 19 October; the government’s later count of 288 by 21 October reflected further transfers. Reuters also documented minors sleeping outside police headquarters after being removed from an industrial area near the Moroccan border, as accommodation came under pressure. The European debate over migration procedures, including the EU’s new migration pact, is unfolding alongside the immediate challenge of providing safe care. The dispute turns on how border enforcement can proceed while Spain meets its legal and protection obligations to children.
