Middle-Class Moroccan Minors Surge in Melilla Migration, Reshaping Family Strategies

The profile of minors arriving from the Kingdom and hoping to obtain a residence permit in Melilla has radically changed. They are now young people from the middle class who enter the enclave, accompanied by a parent or relative, before being left there. Then the Melilla authorities take them in. And when the child reaches the age of majority and obtains his residence permit, he begins a family reunification procedure.

During the first 15 days of February, no less than 156 minors were taken in by the authorities of the enclave. In three years, the percentage of minors presenting Moroccan documents has gone from 1 percent to... 55%.

1,184 minors have been counted in Melilla, according to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, until the end of January. They represent 10 percent of the unaccompanied minors on the entire Spanish territory.

On the other hand, there are families leaving their children alone in Spain until the age of majority so that they can bring them back... Families who do not necessarily know economic difficulties... Intelligent? Or awful?