Spain’s socialist government is preparing the “urgent” mainland transfer of more than 500 unaccompanied minor migrant girls that entered Ceuta during the late July invasion of the enclave.
The transfer, which is yet to occur at press time, directly contradicts past statements from Spanish government authorities who claimed that no migrant involved in the invasion of Ceuta would be transferred to mainland Spain. Per Spanish outlets, at least 97 of the 500 girls are reportedly aboard a vessel and awaiting to travel to Spanish mainland territory as of late Wednesday.
Sources from the Spanish Youth and Children Ministry confirmed the plans to the public broadcaster RTVE. The broadcaster detailed that Migration Minister Elma Saiz also confirmed the existence of the yet-to-be finalized plans in remarks shared with the state-owned RNE radio station. Saiz abstained from disclosing further details, affirming that any measure that ends up being adopted by the government will be to “protect the ulterior interests of the minor.”
“We must comply not only with immigration law, but also with all regulations, the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, and all E.U. regulations, and Spain will continue to comply, as it has been doing, with the law governing this matter,” Saiz claimed to RNE.
Muslim illegal migrants pray on a beach on 19 August 2026 in Ceuta, Spain. Ceuta continues to face a serious humanitarian crisis following the historic mass influx of more than 70,000 migrants who swam across the Tarajal strait on 30 and 31 July. (Marcos Moreno/Europa Press via Getty)
Unnamed Youth Ministry sources detailed to El Español that the plans would involve the use of a Royal Decree signed by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in 2025 on the “compulsory, solidarity-based reception of migrants” by all of Spain’s autonomous communities. The sources reportedly noted that other options are being evaluated that can expedite the transfer process.
Rubén Pérez Correa, Secretary of State for Youth and Children reportedly stated during a Thursday morning radio interview that the distribution of the 500 migrant girls will take place in an “equitable” manner across mainland Spain’s autonomous communities. The official asserted that the Spanish government will employ a procedure previously used to transfer minor asylum-seeking migrants that arrived at the Canary Islands.
Per El Español, sources from Ceuta’s local government rejected the announced transfer plans and affirmed, “We have not accepted anything.”
The sources reportedly insisted that the local government’s priority objective is the return to Morocco of every single migrant that entered the exclave during the invasion — a position maintained since the start of the crisis.
The confirmation of the planned transfer of the minor migrants into mainland Spain territory also comes just hours after European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert stated during a Tuesday press conference that all illegal migrants in Ceuta would be returned, including the minors. Said returns, Lammert detailed, are covered by provisions under E.U. law.
“The priority is now for the Spanish and for the Moroccan authorities to maintain control of the situation and to ensure a swift return of all those who illegally remain in Ceuta”, Lammert said on Tuesday.
According to information disclosed by the Spanish National Police to local outlets this week, a total of 2,168 unaccompanied minors where among the approximately 80,000 migrants that swarmed into Ceuta during the late July invasion of the Spanish exclave.