Charity says 4,000 migrant children in Ceuta lack protection as assault cases emerge

· Society ESPMAR
Part of Ceuta Migrant Crisis
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Save the Children estimates that roughly 4,000 migrant minors remain outside the child protection system in Ceuta, two weeks after the mass border crossing from Morocco that brought tens of thousands into the Spanish enclave in late July. The group has identified children as young as 11 living on the streets and warns that many girls face trafficking and exploitation risks. Only about 1,500 minors have been taken into care, roughly 27% of the total.

Conditions in emergency shelters remain severe, with some children receiving just one meal a day and girls reporting urinary infections. Legal proceedings are underway in three sexual assault cases involving migrants who arrived during the crossing.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has identified 1,898 minors and warned that adults ineligible for international protection will be deported to Morocco. The children's ministry is meeting regional authorities to manage a €25 million emergency fund.

Story development

  1. Police probe rapes as Ceuta shelters unaccompanied girls on football pitch
  2. Moroccan forces block new migrant push toward Ceuta as Spain deploys 3,500 officers to enclave
  3. Charity says 4,000 migrant children in Ceuta lack protection as assault cases emerge
  4. Morocco tightens border security as social media calls for new Ceuta mass crossing on 15 August
  5. Spain counts 1,527 migrant minors in Ceuta as Morocco demands their return
  6. Ceuta hospital treats underage girls for suspected rape as migrant crisis overwhelms services
  7. Migrant dies in paraglider attempt as Moroccan rights group raises border death toll to 141
  8. EU says Schengen integrity preserved after Ceuta crisis as commissioner warns of border reliance on neighbours
  9. Spain allocates €25 million for Ceuta minors as youth minister plans visit
  10. Spanish judge opens preliminary probe into mass migrant crossings at Ceuta
  11. Spain and Morocco clash over death toll as Ceuta migrant surge tops 60,000
  12. Moroccan footballer dies swimming to Ceuta as death toll in border crisis reaches 67

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