Transcript
The Spanish authorities are holding hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children from Africa in makeshift centers in the Canary Islands, where the children are at risk of violence and ill-treatment.
EMMA DALY:
Simone, in your report on conditions for unaccompanied migrant children in the Canary Islands, you’ve quoted the children describing poor conditions, abusive treatment and even violence in these centers.
SIMONE TROLLER:
I have come across shocking stories of violence against children and I have spoken to children who had visible scars...
Conditions are really poor; children as young as 10 are kept with much older children. Authorities rarely inspected conditions, and if they did, only carried out superficial visits. The children told me grim stories of life under these circumstances.
“There’s a punishment cell upstairs. Children were locked up for three to four days sometimes. They received food during that time… but they had no permission to go to the toilet. It happened very often that children were taken upstairs.”
– Salem L., Age 17, La Esperanza Center
“The boys were beaten up there. I heard screams for about two to three hours coming from upstairs.”
– Papis F., Age 17, La Esperanza Center
“The educator grabbed me by the throat very violently while he was blocking the door with the other hand. I don’t tell anybody what happened. If I tell the truth nobody would believe me. I don’t want to talk about anything else going on in the center. If I had known this would happen here I would have stayed back in my country.”
– Nasir A., Age withheld, Arinaga Center
“Someone wants to rape the smaller boys. It’s the worst thing I have ever seen in this center. He is always after one small boy. I am too ashamed to tell you, but everybody knows.”
– Ahmed A., Age 17, Arinaga Center
“One boy used to protect me but he escaped from the center. I have nobody to take care of me and protect me.” – Mohamad G., Age withheld, Arinaga Center
“Once four boys escaped for a party again during a Muslim holiday. The police found them and returned them but the boys told the police that they didn’t want to stay in the center for the night with the educators. They were taken upstairs to the punishment room by the educators by force and were locked up for four days.. They were very quiet afterwards.”
– Salem L., Age 17, La Esperanza Center
EMMA DALY:
Simone, there are currently around 400-500 children in these centers – why is it taking so long for Spain to decide what to do with them? Are they being transferred to the mainland or not?
SIMONE TROLLER:
The Canary Islands struggled with the high number of unaccompanied children arriving because this influx swamped its child protection system. They set up emergency centers as a temporary solution.
The central government then moved 500 children to other parts of Spain. But this only partially relieved the burden on the Canaries system because children keep arriving. .
The Canary Island authorities say that Madrid needs to find a solution but the central government points the finger back at the regional government, saying they’re the ones in charge of these children.
This blame game comes at the expense of hundreds of children who remain in makeshift centers, in overcrowded conditions and with insufficient care and supervision by authorities.
EMMA DALY:
So what should Spain do about migrant children coming to their shores?
SIMONE TROLLER:
Spain is obliged under international law to provide special care and protection to all unaccompanied children on its territory and children are entitled to the full provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that Spain has ratified.
These emergency centers are far from providing the level of care and protection children need.
The government should immediately come up with a plan to close these emergency centers and transfer children to better places. They shouldn’t continue to operate these centers – they were set up as a temporary solution one year ago. The authorities in Madrid and the Canary Islands should act now to resolve these problems.
Related Material
Unwelcome Responsibilities: Spain's Failure to Protect the Rights of Unaccompanied Migrant Children in the Canary Islands
Report, July 26, 2007