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.
At 8 in the morning, Ceuta's Tarajal industrial park is quiet, save for makeshift tents housing children and teenagers. The city's 3,000 to 5,000 unaccompanied minors live on the streets or in overcrowded facilities. Amina, a 14-year-old Moroccan girl, and her brother are among the remaining 9,000 in Ceuta. They lack basic amenities like toilets and struggle to afford necessities like books and clothing as school resumes.
Malika, a Moroccan woman, took her four children to Ceuta following a social media post, but now faces challenges of her own. Police have investigated at least 15 suspected cases of rape in the past week, with the actual number possibly higher. Emergency doctor Susana Ascaso reports the rise in sexual assaults and harassment of young girls.
Local politicians call for more government support, including more police and hospital resources. The Spanish government plans to transfer minors to the mainland but has no timeline. Many migrants, including Ibrahim, a Sudanese child, refuse to return to Morocco.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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