Spanish authorities in Alicante have been confronting a troubling pattern in recent months: a number of Moroccan and Algerian minors have been left in shelters or at police stations by their own parents, who traveled to Spain as tourists with the intention of securing better legal status for their children. Local sources describe these children as unaccompanied foreign minors, or menas, once they arrive in the care system. Several parents have already been arrested and are suspected of abandoning their children, a crime currently under investigation since last September.
The investigation into these cases is being conducted by Group III officers of the Anti-Illegal Migration Networks and Documentary Lies Unit (UCRIF) at the Alicante Provincial Police Station. The inquiry remains open, and additional arrests remain possible as the case progresses.
The Alicante Provincial Immigration and Border Brigade maintains regular contact with the various reception and accommodation centers for minors. Through these channels, police have observed a rise in arrivals of unaccompanied foreign minors who often run afoul of center rules. Officials have noted that many of these youths arrive in surprising condition, both hygienically and psychologically, sometimes with spare clothes and even money in their pockets, which is not uncommon among this demographic. (attribution: Alicante Police sources)
Interviews with managers of minor reception centers in Alicante indicate that these youths did not arrive by boat in this wave, which contrasts with other migration patterns. It was learned that some minors entered the national territory with parental consent, intending to stay in Spain for the long term. The earliest clue appeared last July when a 16-year-old admitted traveling with his mother and two sisters. (attribution: center administrators)
The overarching objective behind these abandonments appears to be the attainment of advantageous legal status for the minors, with the intention of keeping them under the protection of the Spanish Administration until they reach adulthood. Abandoned in shelters or other locations, these children are placed in care while their parents depart the country. UCRIF investigators have conducted interviews with 15 minors who arrived in Alicante under these circumstances over recent months, including several who are siblings. (attribution: UCRIF report)
Check-in as a tourist
Authorities sought to determine how these minors entered the country so as to locate their parents. The findings indicate that all of the youths entered Spain as tourists, traveling with parents or extended family members who held visas. In many cases, the minors did not return to their home countries, with some parents still in Alicante while others eventually returning to Algeria or Morocco by sea routes linking the region to the continent.
Before these cases, five of the parents were located and arrested on separate occasions on suspicion of child abandonment. Among those arrested were two men and three women, ranging in age from 37 to 53. While Algerian and Moroccan nationals were brought to justice in Alicante, five of the fifteen minors were reunified with their families. (attribution: police reports)
These events have prompted ongoing monitoring by immigration authorities and child welfare services, who continue to evaluate safeguards for unaccompanied minors and to ensure that any future arrivals are managed with appropriate oversight and care. The investigation remains active as authorities work to understand the full scope and to prevent future occurrences.