Why is Spain defying European Union (EU) recommendations to return 500 migrant girls to Morocco? Elma Saiz, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, said that the nation's main priority is to 'protect the best interests of the child.' The girls are even more vulnerable because 'these are girls who are on their own,' she said.
However, when pressed on how many children are still in Ceuta, Saiz admits she did not have the numbers. According to the data of the National Police, there are 2,168 minors in Ceuta, 500 of whom are girls. They were among the estimated 70,000 people who swam across the sea from Morocco to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta between 30 and 31 July.
