Spain’s attempt to ease pressure on Canary Islands and Ceuta reception centres hit a wall on Wednesday when Partido Popular-run regions boycotted a sector-wide meeting in Madrid that was to finalise quota numbers for transferring unaccompanied minors. In parallel, the Valencian regional parliament saw the far-right Vox party propose moving all existing minors’ centres to the outskirts of cities, claiming security concerns. The initiative will be debated next week; the PP has not ruled out supporting it, while opposition parties denounce it as discriminatory. The walk-out means the updated Royal Decree on minimum reception capacity remains unsigned, frustrating the central government’s aim to start the next wave of transfers before summer. Asturias, which did attend, announced it had taken in ten additional minors on Tuesday, bringing its total to 54 under the solidarity mechanism. For relocation managers the impasse prolongs uncertainty over where child-protection resources—and accompanying staff secondments—will be required. NGOs warn that delays increase the risk of overcrowding in Spain’s Atlantic enclaves, potentially prompting emergency hotel requisitions similar to those ordered in 2023.
Source: Cadena SER
