Migrant children on Ceuta's streets risk abuse, exploitation
Several thousand unaccompanied minors have gathered in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northern coast of Africa. Illness and abuse are rife, and the authorities admit they are overwhelmed.
It's 8 a.m. in the Tarajal industrial park of Ceuta, but there are no workers or truck drivers to be seen. Instead, makeshift tents made of cardboard are scattered among the warehouses, housing mainly children and teenagers sleeping on dirty blankets. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 unaccompanied minors may be homeless in Ceuta. Some have no choice but to live on the streets, unable to secure a spot in the overcrowded reception facilities.
A 14-year-old Moroccan girl, Amina, and her brother are among the 80,000 people who crossed into Spain from Morocco in late July. While most have left, 9,000 remain in Ceuta, with many being minors. Amina, who shared her plight with DW, expressed the dire situation, stating that they lack proper sanitation facilities, forced to relieve themselves in the bushes.
Malika, a Moroccan woman who took in her own children and four others, spoke of her struggles. She earns only €7 ($8) a day as a cleaning lady in Morocco, insufficient to provide for everyone, let alone new expenses like school supplies and decent clothing for the children. She had crossed the border after reading about it on social media but now finds herself in a dire situation.
One child fell ill with a high fever, and she couldn't get help. She resorted to making compresses with water and vinegar to alleviate the symptoms. The rise in sexual assaults among the minors has alarmed local authorities, with at least 15 suspected cases of rape under investigation. Susana Ascaso, an emergency doctor at Ceuta University Hospital, has treated several young girls who have been harassed and assaulted.
High-ranking politicians in Ceuta have called for more support from the central government, with Ceuta's president describing the situation as a "high-risk situation" where public services are increasingly difficult to maintain. The Spanish government has announced plans to transfer unaccompanied minors to the mainland, but no concrete timeline has been set. Many of the minors in Ceuta wish to stay, hoping for a better future in Spain, despite the harsh conditions.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
