Vox has confirmed it will remain in coalition governments with the Partido Popular (PP) in Extremadura, Aragón, Castilla y León and Andalucía, despite the regions being required to accept the transfer of more than 1,100 unaccompanied migrant minors from Ceuta. Previous coalition agreements explicitly opposed the arrival of additional foreign minors and rejected the central government's immigration policies. The political tension is unfolding as the PP and Vox continue negotiations in the four autonomous communities. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has described the parties as having a working “structure for negotiation” in four regions, as reported by elDiario.es.
The situation differs from July 2024, when Vox left all coalition governments with the PP over disagreements unrelated to the relocation of minors. A royal decree approved in March 2025 amended Article 35 of Spain's Immigration Law and established a mechanism requiring autonomous communities to participate in transfers when an emergency threshold is reached. Under the law, regional governments cannot refuse the transfers without violating national regulations and risking legal action by the juvenile prosecutor's office. EFE reported that Ceuta's ordinary reception capacity of 29 places was being compared with 3,086 minors in care, up from 180 at the beginning of July, about 106 times the stated capacity. Spanish authorities are treating the transfers as a statutory obligation, not a voluntary distribution agreement.
Vox acknowledges the legal obligation, but party sources insist regional partners must use every available legal and political avenue to hinder the process, including judicial action. That means filing court appeals against the measure, demanding the minors' return to Morocco, even if they are placed under state care rather than returned to their families, and conducting age-verification tests to exclude adults. Vox also calls for the immediate implementation of measures in its coalition agreements, including ending contracts with NGOs that, in the party's view, support illegal immigration and withdrawing their funding. In Castilla y León, the regional parliament has rejected a Socialist initiative seeking continued support for organizations assisting migrants, including Cruz Roja and Cáritas. Aragón has also ended a weekly allowance of 17 euros for tutelated migrant children while retaining it for Spanish children in the same protection system. The Fiscalía de Menores described the distinction as discriminatory, information from Cadena SER.
Vox faces a contradiction: it has pledged not to create new centers or expand existing facilities for minors, yet the legal requirement to accept more children could lead to overcrowding. Aragón's support system is also undergoing a staffing change. A program employing 16 workers was scheduled to be replaced by a temporary scheme costing 500,000 euros and requiring 11 professionals. Staff warned that existing cases and newly transferred minors would add to the routine regional demand for attention, as reported by El Periódico de Aragón. The party's secretary general in Congress, José María Figaredo, has publicly said authorities should pursue migrants, including unaccompanied minors, individually. He dismissed criticism of his language, which some say dehumanizes children, arguing that his priority is defending the rights of Spanish citizens.
The legal structure leaves regional governments little room to maneuver as the debate intensifies. The issue has drawn national attention, particularly after recent surges in arrivals to Ceuta. Spain's National Court has recently requested a report from the Guardia Civil on possible missed alerts before a major influx of migrants into Ceuta, adding to concerns about border management and pressure on local resources. More details are available in this recent report on the National Court's inquiry into the Ceuta migrant surge.
Spain's approach to unaccompanied minors is shaped by national and EU regulations requiring the protection and care of children regardless of their immigration status. The relocation mechanism is intended to prevent Ceuta and other territories with limited reception capacity from carrying the full responsibility for child protection. The dispute between coalition partners shows the challenge of balancing statutory duties and humanitarian responsibilities with political commitments in Spain's migration policy.
