The Spanish government is preparing to transfer around 500 unaccompanied underage girls from Ceuta to mainland Spain. The Secretary of State for Youth and Children, Rubén Pérez Correa, said in an interview with RNE, on 21 August that the measures could begin “in a few weeks”. He also confirmed that the Ceuta city government has not yet received a formal, detailed proposal for the procedure. A corresponding document is to be sent at a later date.
Responsibility for the care of unaccompanied minors lies in practice with the autonomous city. Its president, Juan Jesús Vivas, had publicly criticised the fact that his administration had not received a concrete plan. Pérez Correa replied that the Ministry for Youth and Children had been in ongoing discussions with Ceuta about options and was working on a written proposal. The Secretary of State’s statement therefore signals, on the one hand, an announcement of expedited action and, on the other, an admission that formal coordination with the local authorities is still pending.
According to the government, the measure aims to move particularly vulnerable girls to suitable facilities on the mainland promptly and ease pressure on Ceuta’s overstretched capacity. Discussions are continuing on the legal and organisational arrangements – including the specific allocation of places in facilities in the autonomous communities and the individual decisions required. The best interests of the child are paramount; on Thursday, no blanket commitments were made about the scale or pace of the transfers. The “few weeks” timeframe given by Pérez Correa is the central government’s expectation, not a fixed schedule.
Before this, talks had taken place between the minister responsible, Sira Rego and the Ceuta city government. The central government points to coordination efforts under way since the beginning of August to link identification, initial care and possible transfers. Ceuta, for its part, continues to insist on receiving a detailed proposal with a sound legal basis before implementation.
Interests and implications: From a humanitarian perspective, the priority is to promptly secure accommodation, healthcare and psychosocial support for the girls concerned. Administratively, the transfer requires close coordination between Madrid, the autonomous city and the receiving regions to ensure that capacity, responsibilities and procedures are clearly set out. Politically, the issue remains contentious: while Madrid is pressing for faster action, Ceuta is demanding robust wording and transparent procedures. Reliable forecasts of the number of actual transfers and their start date are still unavailable (as at 21 August 2026).
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).