The Government has reported that 3,519 migrants have voluntarily returned from Ceuta to Morocco between August 10 and August 31, while another 214 have been expelled. In addition, it has placed the number of minors already registered at 1,612.
This was detailed by the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, during the press conference following the Council of Ministers.
"Between August 10 and yesterday, August 31, 3,519 migrants returned voluntarily to Morocco, there have been 214 expulsions and we also have the registrations of the minors in which there is no contradiction," he pointed out.
Torres explained that the protection system currently attends to 1,612 registered minors. Of them, 1,129 arrived in Ceuta during the mass entry in July, so approximately 500 were already in the autonomous city beforehand.
The minister has acknowledged that it is "impossible" to determine exactly how many children and adolescents remain unidentified.
"How many are left in the City of Ceuta who have not been registered? That exact data is impossible to provide, neither the Government of Spain nor the local authority can do so," he indicated.
Torres has defended the need to have spaces available as soon as possible to care for the minors, a responsibility of the autonomous city in which the central Executive also participates in coordination. The goal, he added, is to complete the registrations and process the corresponding administrative procedures.
More than 3,400 places for migrants in Ceuta
The minister also reported that more than 3,400 places for migrants have been enabled and announced the incorporation of new reception spaces in Ceuta.
According to Torres, it is "essential" to have designated areas that allow for registrations, execute returns, and conclude administrative files.
The Council of Ministers has approved the modification of the royal decree aimed at enabling spaces and resources in the autonomous city. Torres has assured that the measure has been agreed upon with the "maximum consensus" to affect daily life and coexistence of the people of Ceuta as little as possible.
Plots in the port and housing land
The modification removes from the list of spaces the sports complexes of Santa Amelia, La Libertad, and Antonio Campoamor, as well as the sports complexes Guillermo Molina and Díaz-Flor.
They also exclude the Military Hospital, the flour factory, and the sports center of IES Puertas del Campo.
In their place, parcels located in the port of Ceuta and land belonging to the Ministry of Housing are incorporated. These spaces are added to the K-8 barracks, which is also included in the royal decree.
Torres has announced that the necessary material will arrive "this very week."
109,600 food 'kits' distributed
As of Monday, August 31, 109,600 food kits had been distributed among the migrants, according to data provided by the head of Territorial Policy.
Torres has stated that the distribution took place normally, except for the days of August 25 and 26. In the first case, due to "internal circumstances," and in the second, because the volunteers from the Red Cross and the organization itself "felt threatened."
The minister has specified that the events reported by the media took place on August 27, although food could be distributed that day.
Torres rules out immediate returns of minors
Regarding migrant minors, Torres has rejected the claims of those who argue that they can be returned immediately. "It is false" and "impossible," the minister responded, who considered that anyone advocating for that possibility is sending "a populist message."
Torres has also pointed out, as previously did the Minister of Youth and Childhood, that Morocco has unresolved 600 cases of migrant minors prior to July 30 and 31.
The minister has assured that Morocco has expressed its intention to accept the return of those who entered during those two days. To do this, family reunification cases must be completed, which, he has warned, "are not simple cases."
Almost 63 million to care for minors
The Council of Ministers has also authorized an extraordinary credit of 62,958,000 euros for the Ministry of Youth and Childhood to care for unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents in Ceuta.
According to the department headed by Sira Rego, the allocation will finance the reception of these minors, as well as their legal assistance and psychosocial, educational, and health care.
The credit is in addition to the 25 million euros approved last week and the 5.5 million granted to Ceuta in mid-July. In total, the amount allocated this year amounts to approximately 93.5 million euros.