The president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Javier Vivas, reported that the city currently manages about 1,300 minors in its territory but admitted not having precise data on the number of unaccompanied young people.
He stated that he is awaiting calculations to effectively determine how many minors exist among the city's 8,000 to 11,000 inhabitants. The regional leader clarified that the total number of residents is obtained from various sources of information, and it is necessary to complete this survey before knowing the distribution of minors.
According to the Efe agency, the issue was discussed with the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego. Vivas guaranteed that Ceuta will continue to collaborate with the central government in Madrid to ascertain the exact number of minors, reaffirming the city's commitment to comply with all legislation related to child protection.
Despite this, Vivas informed the minister that the current situation has unique characteristics resulting from the large influx of migrants recorded on July 30th, which increased the presence of unaccompanied minors. He pointed out that this increase represents an aggression against the territorial integrity of Spain.
In his view, this circumstance adds a distinct qualitative aspect compared to past events, although he reiterated that the city will always respect current legislation. After the completion of the new count, the focus will be on developing a strategy to meet the needs of the minors and defining the response of the various administrative entities.
The official also expressed concern about the possibility of another massive arrival of migrants from Morocco on August 15th (Saturday), but conveyed a message of calm, trusting that the central Government will implement the necessary measures to prevent what happened on July 30th.
Vivas expressed hope that the Government will fulfill its obligations, recognizing that Ceuta does not have the autonomy to manage a new migratory episode. He requested the Madrid government to adopt adequate preventive, deterrent, and reactive measures so that the event of July 30th does not recur, neither on August 15th nor in the future.
The president of Ceuta asked for reinforcement at the border and a greater presence of state security forces in the city, asking the army to maintain patrols in the streets while the situation persists, aiming to guarantee safety and tranquility for citizens.
Updated data from Spanish authorities indicates that about 72,000 people entered the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, located in North Africa, in 24 hours the previous week, and 70,000 of them returned to Morocco. At least 82 people lost their lives while trying to reach Ceuta by swimming.
