A heated debate continues in Spain over the placement of unaccompanied minors who have arrived in the Canary Islands and applied for international protection. Despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering the relocation of a thousand such children and adolescents, only 52 have been transferred to the mainland in the five months since the verdict was issued.
According to official data, since March 2025 the central authorities have accepted only 210 minors at the transit center in Las Palmas. Only a small portion of them have been sent to other regions. Specifically, 10 children were placed in Gijón, 12 in Ultzama (Navarre), 10 in Baena (Córdoba), and 20 more in a state institution in Zaragoza.
Spain’s Ministry of Migration has announced plans to relocate another 100 minors in September, but the regional authorities of the Canary Islands consider these measures insufficient. They stress that the court’s decision requires more decisive and rapid action, and that the current pace does not meet the established obligations.
A joint report, set to be signed by the government and the Canary Islands administration, notes that between July and August assistance was provided to 275 minors seeking international protection. Most are temporarily accommodated at the ‘Canarias 50-M’ center, where an initial assessment is conducted before they are relocated.
The question of who should take responsibility for these children has become a point of contention between the central government and the regional authorities. The Canary Islands insist that it is the state’s duty to handle the fate of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, rather than the responsibility of the autonomous communities. As a result of negotiations, the final document omitted a provision for redistributing children among the regions, which was seen as a concession from the ministry.
The Supreme Court had previously warned about the possibility of sanctions for failing to comply with the decision. Meanwhile, the Spanish government, citing a lack of suitable accommodation facilities, points to the challenges in meeting these requirements. The situation involving underage migrants remains one of the most pressing issues in relations between Madrid and the Canary Islands.