Spain’s minority coalition government approved a reform on Tuesday aimed at redistributing thousands of unaccompanied migrant minors across the country, alleviating pressure on the Canary Islands, where record numbers of arrivals have overwhelmed reception centres.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants undertake the hazardous journey from West Africa to the Atlantic archipelago, traveling in overcrowded boats in hopes of reaching the European Union. ALSO READ: Spain registers all-time record of migrants reaching the Canary Islands.
Local officials have repeatedly warned that the strain on their resources is unsustainable and have criticised the lack of support from other parts of Spain.
‘We are at a landmark in the defence of human rights, in the defence of the minors’ best interest,’ said Ángel Víctor Torres (main image), the minister responsible for coordinating with Spain’s regional governments.
While the central government is responsible for managing adult migrants, the care of unaccompanied minors falls under the jurisdiction of the regions.
Under the reform, regions facing an excessive burden will be able to trigger a system that transfers some of the migrant minors to other areas, Torres’s ministry explained in a statement.
Currently, the Canary Islands accommodate more than 5,000 unaccompanied minors, despite only having facilities for 900. As a result, over 4,000 will be relocated to different regions, according to Torres.
The distribution process will be based on factors such as regional population, economic capacity, and available facilities. Additionally, the government has pledged €100 million this year to assist regions in carrying out the transfers.
Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo described the decision as ‘an extremely important day for Spain’, adding that the minors ‘will be relocated in 15 days, with all legal guarantees’.
Efforts to distribute unaccompanied minors had previously stalled due to disagreements between the PSOE socialist-led government and the opposition right-wing People’s Party (PP), which governs several regions.
However, the government was able to secure the crucial support of the Catalan pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), whose votes are vital for passing legislation in Spain’s fragmented parliament. ALSO READ: Catalan pro-independence party wants immigrants to learn Catalan to get residency.
Madrid’s populist PP leader, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, strongly opposed the plan, calling it a ‘woeful deal’ and vowing to challenge it both in court and at the EU level.
‘These minors are used as a political weapon. They, and every city where they are heartlessly sent, pay the price,’ she wrote on X (formerly Twitter), accusing socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of encouraging “mass illegal immigration.”
The Canary Islands have seen a surge in migrant arrivals, with 46,843 people reaching the archipelago in 2024, marking a second consecutive record-breaking year. Increased restrictions in the Mediterranean have led more migrants to attempt the dangerous Atlantic route.
The journey is fraught with peril due to strong ocean currents and the poor condition of many boats. According to NGO Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders), at least 10,457 migrants either perished or went missing while trying to reach Spain by sea between 1 January and 5 December 2024.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday highlighting mistreatment and harsh disciplinary measures experienced by unaccompanied minors in overcrowded reception centers in the Canary Islands. The organisation criticised what it described as a ‘failed’ system.
The report included testimonies from minors who described being subjected to insults, deprived of food, and having their money and phones confiscated. Amnesty also noted that staff members often lacked adequate training for handling the situation.
Hoy es un día histórico. El Gobierno de @sanchezcastejon es el primero en 30 años en dar una solución a la acogida de niños, niñas y adolescentes migrantes no acompañados en territorios frontera.
El #CMin ha aprobado un RD para la modificación legislativa para una solución:… pic.twitter.com/pPWpFUZsrg
— Ángel Víctor Torres Pérez (@avtorresp) March 18, 2025
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