Spain has approved €550,000 in funding to establish a specialist unit designed to support unaccompanied migrant children in Ceuta as the Spanish enclave faces growing pressure on its child protection system.
The Council of Ministers approved the funding for the Unit for Multidisciplinary Support for Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Emergencies, known as UMAIME.
The initiative will provide specialist assistance to children who arrive in Ceuta without their parents or other family members. Its responsibilities will include interviewing children, helping process their case files and providing direct support during periods when local services are under strain.
The Ministry of Youth and Children said the grant has been awarded to Save the Children, which will work alongside UNICEF to launch the unit. The full team is expected to be operational in Ceuta in the coming days.
Some members of the team are already working in the Spanish territory, assisting with the care of unaccompanied minors and helping authorities manage their individual cases.
UMAIME brings together professionals experienced in child protection, migration and intercultural mediation. The unit was created as an emergency response mechanism that can be deployed in areas where existing systems are struggling to cope with large numbers of migrant arrivals.
Ceuta is currently one of the areas facing significant pressure, with authorities reporting a large number of unaccompanied migrant children requiring protection and assistance.
The €550,000 allocation forms part of a broader package of financial and humanitarian measures approved by the Spanish government to strengthen support in the enclave.
As part of the same package, the government approved another €160,000 for the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR. The funding will support programs focused on protecting children who may require international protection.
The UNHCR-backed programs will include early assessments of children’s protection needs, legal assistance and broader support services.
Spain has also committed additional funds directly to Ceuta to help the territory expand its ability to receive and care for unaccompanied migrant children.
The wider financial package includes €63.6 million for the Ceuta government, following a further €25 million allocation approved the previous week.
The funding is expected to help strengthen reception facilities and provide legal, psychological, educational and healthcare assistance for migrant children.
According to the Spanish government, Ceuta’s child protection services are currently responsible for approximately 1,500 unaccompanied migrant children, placing considerable pressure on the territory’s existing resources.