Government decree to outline capacity for hosting migrant minors in Spain's autonomous regions

The Spanish Government will approve on Tuesday a Royal Decree that sets out the ordinary reception capacity of each autonomous community – i.e., the number of unaccompanied migrant children each region can host – according to sources from the Ministry of Youth and Childhood who spoke to Europa Press.

Although the decree does not fix the number of transfers to each community, officials say it is “important” because it will allow regions that are experiencing over‑occupancy to request the activation of an extraordinary migration contingency.

A region can invoke this contingency only when its ordinary capacity is multiplied by at least three. Consequently, the territories most likely to request it are the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.

Once the decree is published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), the Government expects that, from Thursday, 28 August, transfers of unaccompanied migrant minors from over‑occupied territories to the mainland can begin.

The allocation of these minors was supposed to be addressed at the sectorial Childhood conference convened by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood on 17 July, but the meeting was suspended for lack of quorum after a “walk‑out” by the autonomous communities governed by the People’s Party (PP), except for Ceuta.

“Blockade” by the PP‑led Communities

“The PP’s blockage of the reform of article 35 of the Foreigners’ Law is a profound lack of respect, especially in a humanitarian crisis,” said Sira Rego, Minister of Youth and Childhood.

Rego added that on 26 August the decree on ordinary capacity – i.e., the number of children each system can host and the associated funding – will be approved. From 28 August, the authorities will be ready to start moving up to 3,975 unaccompanied migrant minors to the mainland (a maximum that will likely be reduced after subtracting those granted asylum, estimated at up to 1,200).

“This does not mean that all of them will be moved suddenly on that day; rather, a balanced reception dynamic will begin, with extensive coordination,” the minister explained. The transfers are to be carried out over a one‑year period.

In July, the Council of Ministers approved another Royal Decree regulating measures for extraordinary migration contingencies concerning unaccompanied migrant children. The decree includes:

• A personal interview for each minor.
• Professional accompaniment during the transfer to the mainland.
• The possibility of requesting police and prosecutor assistance if a community refuses to receive its assigned minors.

Up to 3,975 Minors to Be Distributed

According to calculations by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood (July 2025), removing the extraordinary contingency from the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla would require the autonomous communities to accommodate 3,975 unaccompanied minors.

Regions with the highest numbers to receive children:

The Basque Country and Catalonia are excluded from the allocation “due to the prior effort made in recent years.” Nevertheless, Catalonia has voluntarily announced it will host at least the same number of children it did in previous campaigns (31), which would make it the region with the highest total of children in its system once transfers conclude.

The Ministry stresses that these figures represent maximum estimates. About 1,000 of the minors are expected to be granted international protection, a responsibility that the State must cover following a Supreme Court ruling; transfers of those children have already begun in recent weeks.

€100 Million Funding Package

Minister Rego indicated that €100 million will be distributed among the autonomous communities, with additional complementary programs aimed at supporting the transition to adult life, to be implemented cooperatively with the regions.

Key points on financing:

• All transfers of minors will be fully funded by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood.
• The State will cover reception costs for at least the first three months for every transferred child.
• Extra compensation will be provided to regions experiencing ordinary over‑occupancy (e.g., Aragón, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Cantabria, La Rioja, Ceuta, Melilla, Navarra, Madrid).

Initial allocation estimates:

These resources are intended to ensure that the reception system can handle the incoming minors while mitigating the impact on already strained local services.