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Elma Saiz plans to relocate 500 vulnerable migrant children from Ceuta to mainland Spain.

The administration announced a plan to transfer approximately 500 of the most vulnerable unaccompanied children from the North African enclave of Ceuta to mainland Spain. This move follows a mass migration influx in late July, which left the enclave's child-protection system at over 4,600 percent of its intended capacity. Elma Saiz, the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, stated that the relocated children will be placed under the care of child protection organizations on the mainland. This strategy aims to minimize political friction with autonomous communities that have expressed reluctance to take in more migrants. By utilizing NGOs and child protection agencies, the government can manage the care of the most vulnerable cases, particularly girls, without transferring full guardianship to the regional governments. While the European Commission has emphasized that all illegal immigrants remaining in Ceuta should be returned to Morocco, the Spanish government is prioritizing the immediate needs of the children. The administration has allocated €25 million to Ceuta to help manage the current crisis and protect the children from unsanitary conditions and rising cases of sexual violence.

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