Hundreds of migrant children are stranded in Spain’s Ceuta after a mass crossing. Many are unaccompanied minors seeking better opportunities. A 17-year-old girl from Tangier made it through the waves to Spanish territory, but her little brother drowned in the Mediterranean, and her mother disappeared in the chaos.
Uncertain Future
The girl, who is not being named because she is a minor in a vulnerable situation, described how she saw Spanish police pull the body of her 8-year-old brother from the water. She made it to the shore but became separated from her mother and has spent the last four days on her own.
She is one of some 860 minors who remained in Ceuta on Monday after crossing over, according to local officials. Spanish authorities confirmed 72 people died, mostly in the water, during the crossing. Morocco reported 11 deaths, which are not included in the Spanish total.
Under Spanish law, migrant minors who are unaccompanied by adults are supposed to be granted protection and taken care of by Spanish authorities. However, many of these children are now facing a scary present and an uncertain future.
The city’s migrant center, with a capacity for 600 people, is completely full. Food is scarce among the migrants, and many are sleeping or resting on the beach or hills surrounding the area.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
