Fifty Moroccan children swam to Ceuta

A total of 54 unaccompanied Moroccan minors swam to Ceuta on Friday night, passing through the Tarajal and Benzú areas, taking advantage of the storm on the North African coast.

According to sources from the Spanish Civil Guard, patrols were mobilized today along the most vulnerable coastal sections of Ceuta's southern border to contain attempts by minors to reach the Spanish city.

Strong waves and adverse conditions did not stop unaccompanied immigrant minors from attempting to swim to the city, forcing authorities to carry out several rescues of children and adults.

The Spanish Ministry of the Presidency and the Interior has also contacted local police to try to locate other minors who may have managed to enter illegally and have not yet been registered.

According to official sources, the new arrivals join the 460 minors already in the administration's care, which is at capacity. The minors were handed over to the autonomous Spanish city's protection units, which already house more than 500 minors, despite having only 132 available spaces.

Faced with this new increase in immigrants, the Ceuta government has once again requested urgent intervention from the central government.

"We don't want to cause alarm, but we want to convey that this is a critical moment. It's a matter of state. Don't leave us alone," the local government urged, fearing that the situation will worsen in August, a time when these types of arrivals typically increase, reported the EFE news agency.

For the local government, what happened this Friday could be repeated in the coming weeks, since last year more than 300 minors swam across in August, causing a collapse in reception resources, the consequences of which still persist.

The Ceuta government is paying close attention to August 28, the date announced by the Spanish Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, as the start of the process of relocating 4,400 minors from Ceuta and the Canary Islands to other Spanish autonomous communities.

However, sources familiar with the process warned that transfers could be slow and limited in number, which would jeopardize their effectiveness.

The Ceará government has highlighted the difficulty of providing adequate care to children who arrive exhausted after spending hours at sea, and the need for psychological support for many of them before any transfer. The same sources warned that, with the constant flow of arrivals, if transfers are not carried out quickly and efficiently, the recent reform of immigration law will have limited impact.