Spain’s Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego reiterated during a visit to Sagunt on 23 September that unaccompanied migrant minors should be transferred from the Autonomous City of Ceuta to mainland Spain. She said Ceuta could not cope with the current numbers alone. Rego named the Comunitat Valenciana as a suitable destination because, according to the central government, its places were not overcrowded. She also accused the Valencian Consell of aligning itself politically with Vox rather than working constructively towards solutions.
Rego said the government had provided additional capacity and funding since the summer. The basis was a Royal Decree, passed in June, which provides funding for the reception and care of unaccompanied minors in the autonomous communities. According to the Ministry of Youth and Children, numerous procedures for regions on mainland Spain to take in minors have been under way since August; Rego most recently put the number of pending cases at around 300. These figures come from the report she presented.
Legal guardianship initially remains with Ceuta. Transfers therefore require the Autonomous City’s consent and coordination with the receiving communities. Representatives of the central government and the judiciary have said in recent weeks that transfers are possible as long as the statutory consent procedures are followed and the best interests of the child are protected. Rego argued that transfers could ease pressure on facilities in Ceuta, while proceedings on the mainland continued without interruption.
The issue is politically contentious. The minister criticised parts of regional politics for exploiting it. Supporters of the transfers point to humanitarian standards and the duty of solidarity between the autonomous communities. Sceptics warn of tensions between governments with different political leanings and call for transparent guarantees that accommodation, access to education and care are secured in the destination regions.
After Rego’s appearance in Sagunt, it remained unclear how many places the Comunitat Valenciana would actually provide. In her words, two conditions are decisive: Ceuta’s formal consent and the regions’ willingness to take in minors. Specific decisions must be made by the authorities involved. Rego expressly called on the autonomous communities to take part in a coordinated solution and stressed that the state would provide the necessary funding.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).