No Spanish government agency actively takes primary responsibility for ensuring the care and protection of unaccompanied migrant children in Ceuta and Melilla. This lack of oversight and clear lines of responsibility has made it almost impossible for children to exercise their rights under Spanish and international law.
Write to the Prime Minister of Spain to urge him to ensure that all unaccompanied migrant children present in Spain receive without discrimination the protection and care they are entitled to under international law and European law, support the creation of an ombudsman for children, and ratify the Migrants Rights Convention.
Write to the Secretary of State for Immigration to urge him to ensure that all unaccompanied migrant children present in Spain receive without discrimination the protection and care they are entitled to under international law and European law.
Write to the Minister of Interior to urge him to immediately halt all unlawful expulsions of unaccompanied migrant children and take legal and disciplinary action against those responsible for unlawful expulsions and police abuse.
Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to urge him to raise cases of Moroccan migrant children with the Moroccan government, facilitate collection of information on these children’s family situation, and facilitate the lodging of complaints against Spanish officials who abused children during expulsions.
Write to the Minister of Justice to urge him to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children have free, effective legal counsel in all proceedings regarding their status and care.
Write to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs to urge him to monitor conditions in and earmark additional funding for residential centers in Ceuta and Melilla.
Write to the Fiscal General del Estado, Spain’s public prosecutor, to urge his office to investigate all reports of unlawful expulsions of unaccompanied migrant children, inspect and report on conditions in residential centers, and ensure that children are not subjected to arbitrary age determinations.
Write to the Defensor del Pueblo, Spain’s ombudsman, to urge him to investigate reports of police abuse, abusive conditions in residential centers, unlawful expulsions of unaccompanied migrant children, make public his findings, and refer cases to the public prosecutor where appropriate.
Write to the national government’s delegate in Ceuta to urge him to immediately halt all unlawful expulsions of unaccompanied migrant children and provide temporary residence documents to all unaccompanied children who cannot be repatriated.
Write to the national government’s delegate in Melilla to urge him to immediately halt all unlawful expulsions of unaccompanied migrant children and provide temporary residence documents to all unaccompanied children who cannot be repatriated.
Write to the Minister of Education to urge her to ensure that every unaccompanied migrant child enjoys the right to an education suited to his or her needs and abilities.
Write to the Minister of Heath to urge her to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children are not denied access to emergency services or other health care, or subjected to arbitrary age determinations.
