Madrid Demands Central Government Activate Return of 110 Unaccompanied Minors
The Community of Madrid urges the central government to initiate family reunification procedures for minors, warning of potential legal action.
By Patricia Gómez Navarro
••3 min read
IA
Spanish flag with a blurred government building in the background, symbolizing institutional conflict.
The Community of Madrid has intensified its pressure on the Government Delegation to activate return procedures for 110 unaccompanied minors, citing family reunification and threatening legal action.
The Community of Madrid has increased institutional pressure on the Government Delegation to initiate return procedures for 110 unaccompanied minors. The regional executive argues these are family reunification processes and warns it may consider legal action if the lack of response persists, bringing the debate on child protection and state competencies back to the forefront.
A report from the Minister of Family, Youth and Social Affairs, Ana Dávila, details that 110 files are pending activation by the Government Delegation in Madrid. The president of the Commission for the Protection of Children and Adolescents, Silvia Valmaña, plans to send a letter to the Government Delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, demanding compliance with state competencies. The Community of Madrid argues that the Commission for the Protection of Children and Adolescents considers returning to families the most appropriate option, citing Article 35 of Organic Law 4/2000.
The regional administration emphasizes that the return or repatriation of unaccompanied minors are sensitive procedures requiring guarantees, individual assessment, and prioritizing effective protection. According to the Community of Madrid, of the 110 affected minors, 40 have already reached adulthood without any procedure being initiated, complicating institutional response. Faced with this situation, the Community of Madrid reserves the right to take legal action if inactivity or unjustified refusal persists.
The report also includes 16 complaints against alleged false minors for possible aggravated fraud, with initial arrests already made. The Community of Madrid stresses the need to distinguish between prosecuting potential fraud and making a global disqualification of a vulnerable group.
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"The Government Delegation in Madrid wishes to make it clear that, as of this time, it has not officially received the additional information that the Government of the Community of Madrid has publicly announced it would send regarding these files. There is no blockade or inaction by the Government of Spain. This is an irresponsible and politically motivated statement, with which the Government of the Community of Madrid seeks to hide its own responsibilities towards the minors under its care."
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"The expulsion of an unaccompanied foreign minor cannot be decided automatically and immediately as the Government of the Community of Madrid intends. Legislation requires individualized processing, always with guarantees and based on the best interests of the minor. Decisions must be supported by mandatory reports that allow for adequate assessment of each minor's personal, family, and social situation, as well as the real conditions for return."
The Government Delegation responded via a statement, denying any blockade or inaction and calling the Community of Madrid's assertion "irresponsible and politically motivated." They assert that actions are being taken according to current regulations and that reports have been requested from the diplomatic representations of the minors' countries of origin, without which a legally guaranteed decision cannot be made. The Government Delegation reminds that the Community of Madrid is the competent administration for the protection and guardianship of minors in its care.
