Spain’s Youth and Children Minister, Sira Rego, has criticized Ceuta’s government for delaying the transfer of unaccompanied migrant minors to the mainland. Madrid says all logistical and financial support is in place, but Ceuta has yet to respond to the formal request needed to start the process. Rego made the comments in Paris after meeting French and UN child protection officials.
Rego said the central government has provided the funding and legal representation required for the minors under Spain’s migration and asylum pact. She said Ceuta’s administration, which is legally responsible for the children, has not engaged with Madrid’s proposal. “What remains is for Ceuta to take the step, because they are the ones with custody,” she said. Government data show that Madrid sent a formal proposal to transfer 500 minors to Ceuta on August 28, 2026. As of September 17, Ceuta had not replied.
In mid-September, 2,048 minors were registered under Ceuta’s care, alongside another 300 children in central government facilities. Between 700 and 1,000 were still unsupervised on the streets.
Rego voiced frustration at what she called an “incomprehensible” change in approach from Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas. She said Madrid and Ceuta regularly cooperated on child transfers until July 30, but the cooperation stopped after arrivals surged at the end of July 2026. About 1,612 children arrived in Ceuta over two days, overwhelming the local child protection system, information from the Ministry of Youth and Children.
In Paris, Rego met Sarah El Haïry, France’s high commissioner for childhood, and Najat Maalla M'jid, the UN’s special representative for ending violence against children. Both meetings focused on coordinated action to protect minors stranded at Europe’s borders. Rego also mentioned her recent visit to Ceuta, where she discussed reforms to Spain’s immigration law. The government says Ceuta’s formal approval is the only remaining obstacle to the transfer, with funding, accommodation and legal support already secured.
Separately, Rego commented on footballers Vinícius Jr, Kylian Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté deciding not to wear a full solidarity shirt for Ceuta. She described Mbappé’s explanation, that he supports Ceuta but would not ignore the suffering of all migrants who have died, as a “deeply human” gesture. Rego said public statements from well-known athletes send an impressive message about solidarity and respect for human rights.
The Spanish government has already initiated 10 individual legal cases for minors, after authorizing lawyers to participate as required by the new European migration and asylum structure. This is the first practical test of Spain’s reformed Article 35 on foreign nationals and the EU’s updated procedures for relocating unaccompanied minors.
The standoff over unaccompanied minors has drawn national attention to Ceuta’s handling of migrant arrivals. The city’s reluctance to act marks a shift from earlier cooperation and raises questions about the delay. As previously reported, Ceuta’s migrant infrastructure has repeatedly come under strain, with security and humanitarian concerns often at odds.
Madrid’s resources are on standby and the legal procedures have been clarified, but local politics now block the process. The longer Ceuta’s government withholds approval, the greater the risk for minors left in limbo. The situation exposes the fragility of cooperation between governments during crises and the need for clear leadership when children’s futures are at stake.
