Spanish authorities are moving quickly to transfer at least 500 migrant girls from Ceuta to the mainland amid mounting concerns about their safety and mental health. The Ministry of Youth and Children is coordinating the operation, which follows weeks of pressure from humanitarian organizations and questions from opposition leaders about the situation in the enclave.
The proposed transfer is part of a far larger child-protection emergency that followed a mass arrival of minors in Ceuta in late July. RTVE reported that, by 21 October, the city’s protection system had attended to 3,331 migrant minors. That same day, 288 minors had left for mainland Spain: 107 through family reunification and 181 through transfers to other autonomous communities. The plan for around 500 particularly vulnerable girls is so distinct from the wider relocation effort.
This group of minors, mostly girls and adolescents, has been identified as particularly at risk. Research over the past three decades has found that girls in crisis zones face heightened threats of sexual violence, exploitation and forced marriage. Recent studies show how adolescent girls often fall through the gaps in both child protection and gender-violence services, leaving them exposed to dangers that go unaddressed.
Save the Children, which has teams on the ground in Ceuta, stresses the urgency of the transfer. The organization says the girls need basic care: safe shelter, regular meals and hygiene, as well as specialized mental-health support. Many have suffered anxiety attacks and trauma linked to violence experienced before and during their journeys to Spain. The current influx is unusual, with a higher proportion of girls than typically seen in migration flows, raising further concern about their vulnerability.
Government sources report that many of the minors are very young. Some have arrived from violent backgrounds; others are without family or come from families in severe distress. Social services are struggling to ensure they can return to a safe environment, given the risks they have already faced. The journey itself has exposed many to violence, including sexual abuse, and the threat continues for those still living on the streets. For adolescent girls, additional concerns include menstrual health and pregnancies resulting from violence, though exact figures remain unclear.
Ceuta’s crisis center has assisted eight women in this context since mid-August, including five minors. The Ministry of Equality has extended support, working with local authorities to adapt services to the girls’ needs. While Ceuta does not record high absolute numbers of sexual crimes, its per-capita rate is above the national average, showing the scale of the problem relative to its population.
Institutional sources say at least one specialized center in Ceuta addresses sexual violence, both during and outside the current crisis. The Ministry of Equality points to ongoing cooperation with the city government, the Government Delegation, the Gender Violence Coordination Unit and local NGOs, with a focus on protecting women and girls. Early in the crisis, local residents also stepped in: many women in Ceuta took in migrant girls to shield them from further harm.
The transfers to other autonomous communities operate under Article 35 of Spain’s Immigration Law, amended to require regions to receive minors from territories formally declared to be facing a migration emergency. The statutory mechanism is being used alongside family reunification. By 23 October, later reporting put the number of minors registered and receiving protection in Ceuta at 3,434; it cited 114 children placed with mainland families and 181 transferred to other autonomous communities. Authorities had also sent 65 family-reunification files to Morocco.
On 19 October, Minister for Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres said that around 4,000 minors had been transferred to other communities over the previous two years. He argued that they could receive better support and access schooling elsewhere. Torres described redistribution as “mandatory justice and solidarity” and said family reunification in Morocco remained the priority for unaccompanied minors. On 22 October, he reiterated that the government intended to distribute minors across Spain, arguing that leaving roughly 3,000 in Ceuta would be a mistake.
Organizations such as Aspacia warn against using sexual violence as a pretext to stigmatize migrants or fuel hate speech. They call for immediate protection, safe spaces and specialized care to prevent further victimization. The 500 girls awaiting transfer have already spent around 20 days in Ceuta, raising questions about the timing of the government’s response. Save the Children says a more effective approach would have included contingency plans, trained professionals ready for deployment and a streamlined transfer mechanism.
The political dispute also reflects competing views over responsibility for the response. Murcia’s regional councillor for Social Policy, Families and Equality, Conchita Ruiz, rejected treating the crisis primarily as a matter of distributing minors among autonomous communities. She called on the central government to take responsibility for migration management and border protection. Ruiz argued that children should remain with their families and in their country whenever possible, while recognizing the role of regional protection services when a child is genuinely unprotected. The central government, by contrast, has presented transfers under Article 35 as a statutory obligation during a declared emergency.
The political dimension remains tense. Recent disputes between the central government and opposition figures over the fate of migrant minors in Ceuta have drawn national attention. For example, a recent political clash over mass deportation and emergency transfers highlighted the challenge of balancing humanitarian needs with political pressures.
Spain’s response reflects broader challenges in managing migration and protecting vulnerable populations at its borders. Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, has long been a focal point for irregular migration. The current situation points to the need for coordinated action and adequate resources, with attention to the specific needs of girls and young women in humanitarian emergencies. Ensuring their safety and well-being remains a pressing concern for local and national authorities.
In recent years, Spain’s migration policy has evolved, with increased cooperation between government agencies and NGOs. But, the sudden arrival of large groups of minors continues to test the system’s capacity. The experience in Ceuta may prompt further review of contingency planning and resource allocation for future incidents involving vulnerable children.
