Ceuta is under mounting pressure as local NGOs report a impressive increase in migrant children and women arriving in the city. Save the Children describes the situation as 'overwhelmed,' with estimates suggesting up to 4,000 minors may now be in the autonomous city. Official figures show the scale of the emergency: on 23 October, Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion reported that Ceuta was sheltering 3,331 migrant minors across 20 protection centres, after a sharp rise following arrivals in late July. Other updates put the total at 3,390 or 3,434, reflecting different reporting dates and counting methods. Calculations by neighborhood associations point to a dramatic escalation compared with previous migration waves.
Field workers have observed a impressive shift in the profile of recent arrivals. Many of the children found wandering the streets are extremely young, some just 11. The growing number of girls among the minors stands out, a trend not seen in earlier mass crossings at the border. Information from Save the Children’s program director Raúl Arnaiz, these girls face heightened risks of trafficking and exploitation because they are vulnerable and lack protection. Interior Ministry figures also show the scale of the screening challenge: by 23 October, authorities had completed initial screening for 286 of the 3,331 minors, or 8.6%. Ceuta’s authorities also reported finding 504 additional minors in streets and informal camps over roughly two weeks.
Local organizations are struggling to respond to the influx. The sheer number of unaccompanied minors has pushed existing support systems to their limits, making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate shelter and food while keeping children safe. Ceuta’s ordinary capacity for unaccompanied foreign minors was reported as 29 places, compared with more than 3,000 children under the city’s protection during the emergency. Since 1 August, the administration has opened 11 additional resources. Separate emergency contracts provided 90 residential places, 70 through Asociación Engloba and 20 through Fundación SAMU, after an initial plan to procure 100. The presence of so many young children and girls has intensified concerns about their exposure to criminal networks and unsafe conditions on the streets.
This crisis comes amid ongoing debate over how to manage the growing number of migrant minors in Ceuta. Spain’s authorities have invoked Article 35 of the Immigration Law to relocate children to other autonomous communities. By 23 October, 181 minors had been relocated under that mechanism, while 114 had reached mainland Spain through family reunification. A further 63 cases had been referred to Morocco for possible family reunification. The issue has already fueled tensions between regional and national authorities, as a recent report on some regions’ reluctance to accept relocated children from Ceuta shows. For more on the political standoff and its impact on the city’s capacity to cope, see the analysis of stalled negotiations regarding the transfer of unaccompanied minors.
Ceuta’s position at the edge of Europe has long made it a focal point for migration from North Africa. This wave, but, stands out for the age and gender of those arriving. Officials have described the children under the city’s protection as predominantly Moroccan. Domestic transfers and reunifications have moved some children to other parts of Spain, but the 63 cases referred to Morocco remained unresolved in the 23 October briefing. The city’s authorities and NGOs are calling for urgent action to meet humanitarian needs and reduce risks to vulnerable children, especially girls. The situation highlights Spain’s broader challenge: balancing border management with child protection and regional cooperation as migration patterns shift.
Ceuta is one of two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, separated from Morocco by a fortified border. In recent years, the city has repeatedly faced sudden surges in arrivals, often overwhelming local infrastructure. The Spanish government and international organizations continue to seek solutions, but the current demographic shift among migrants adds a new layer of complexity to an already difficult situation.
