Minors living alone on Ceuta's streets at risk of abuse
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.
At 8 a.m. in Ceuta's Tarajal industrial park, makeshift tents lined the area, housing mainly children and teenagers. Estimates suggest between 3,000 and 5,000 unaccompanied minors reside in the enclave, with 9,000 remaining. Among them is 14-year-old Amina, who crossed the border from Morocco and now sleeps with her brother in the city.
Amina, along with other minors, faces challenges such as lack of toilets and sexual assaults, leading some to fear going alone to relieve themselves. The local authorities suspect a higher number of sexual assaults than reported, with police investigating over 15 suspected cases of rape. Ceuta's president, Juan Jesus Vivas, calls the situation a "high-risk" one, with the city currently 5,000% over capacity in terms of public services.
The Spanish government plans to transfer unaccompanied minors to the mainland but has not set a timeline.
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.
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