The Junta de Castilla y León plans to consider repatriating all unaccompanied minors currently in the care of the autonomous community through agreements with their countries of origin. Government spokesperson Carlos Fernández Carriedo gave the figure of 164 on Thursday and cited Article 35.2 of the Ley Orgánica 4/2000, which allows autonomous communities to reach agreements with countries of origin, provided that the best interests of the child are safeguarded and follow-up care is arranged.
The trigger was recent proposals by the government’s coalition partner Vox. The Vox politician Carlos Pollán had previously advocated swift repatriation as a way of protecting children. Carriedo also reaffirmed the region’s self-image as a “tierra de acogida” and stressed that the aim was legal, orderly migration with social and professional integration. On 17 September, the Junta named no specific agreements, negotiating partners or timetables.
Responsibility is divided by law: registration, protection and immediate care for unaccompanied minors fall to the autonomous communities. International agreements and forced repatriations, however, engage state powers and international legal requirements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Experts stress that repatriation is permissible only after an individual assessment: the child’s best interests must be upheld, their family situation secured and appropriate care in the country of origin demonstrated. Age and identity assessments and the involvement of the public prosecutor are also generally required.
Politically, the initiative is part of the regional government’s PP‑Vox agenda. The opposition and civil society organisations are calling for transparency: the Junta should disclose which countries it intends to negotiate with, how age assessments and identity checks will be carried out, and what monitoring mechanisms will ensure follow-up after repatriation. Attention has also been drawn to the distinction between voluntary family reunification and state-ordered repatriation, which must be assessed differently in law and in practice.
The government in Valladolid announced that it would act “in accordance with current law” and cooperate with the public prosecutor’s office. Whether, and to what extent, repatriations are actually possible depends on agreements with third countries and the outcome of individual assessments. The Junta did not say who would conduct negotiations with the countries of origin or whether the central government would be involved.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).