In 2% of cases, there are signs of being a survivor or being at risk of being trafficked for exploitation
More than half (55%) of unaccompanied migrant minors in the Canary Islands would need international protection, according to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
For the study, UNHCR conducted 576 interviews with unaccompanied migrant minors during February, March, and April in 37 reception centers managed by collaborating entities of the General Directorate for the Protection of Children and Families in the Canary Islands. These interviews took place on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, and El Hierro.
It also reveals that 14% of migrant minors would need specific attention for medical, psychological, or disability reasons. Additionally, in 8% of cases, it is deemed necessary to initiate the search for relatives and/or the family reunification process, while in 2% there are indications of being a survivor or at risk of being trafficked for exploitation.
Each of these issues requires urgent attention from the competent authorities and individualized and specialized monitoring of each child, who, in the current conditions of overcrowded centers and a lack of sufficient and adequately qualified human resources, presents enormous challenges,» UNHCR points out.
In light of these conclusions, UNHCR advocates for the development of common tools for assessing the best interests of the child to collect information about their protection needs and provide a tailored response to each individual case.
Regarding communication, it suggests strengthening the hiring of interpreters and cultural mediators of African languages, particularly Bambara, Mandinga, Soninke, and Pulaar, to improve communication with minors and identify the needs and risks they face.
It also recommends training professionals in international protection and the human rights of children, as well as in specific forms of persecution faced by refugee children; communication with children and their effective participation; the international protection procedure in Spain, among others.
Regarding psychological support, UNHCR calls for training professionals in psychological first aid and in identifying and referring minors in need of specialized assistance. It also advocates for reinforcing the hiring of specialized psychologists with a transcultural approach for the care of minors who have suffered serious human rights violations. Additionally, it calls for promoting coordination with mental health services, women’s areas, LGBTIQ+, and disability services, etc., at the regional and local levels with an appropriate transcultural approach.
On another note, it demands protocols for early identification, family search, and reunification. Specifically, it advocates for developing mechanisms to identify minors separated from their families or with relatives in other autonomous communities or European countries and promoting their family reunification after assessing their best interests.
Similarly, UNHCR wants to establish protocols of action «to prevent and respond to violence, trafficking, abuse, sexual exploitation, discrimination, LGBTI-phobia, and to facilitate access to the asylum procedure.»
Regarding the interviewees, UNHCR notes that 67% of boys and 10% of girls claimed to be between 15-17 years old, with this age group being the majority. Meanwhile, 13% of boys and 1% of girls claimed to be over 18 years old. However, it warns that this situation may be due in some cases to «inappropriate identification,» while in others, «supposed minors may claim to be of legal age, despite their undoubted appearance of minors, considering that this carries some advantage in terms of access to the labor market, continuity of their journey, or for other motivations.»
UNHCR also asserts that 62% of the interviewed minors stated not having documentation to prove their identity. Of the 38% of minors who did have documentation, 10% had a passport. «The absence of documentation and the difficulties of identification upon arrival – based solely on visual criteria by the competent authorities – poses a challenge in the Canary Islands, resulting in adults being housed in child centers and unaccompanied children in humanitarian reception centers,» it states.
It further highlights that 40% claimed to have undergone age determination tests, of which 17% had already received the results, with a different age being assigned in 41% of cases.
MALI, PRIORITY NATIONALITY
During 2024, Mali has been the priority nationality. In this regard, and in line with trends detected among adults, the most numerous region of origin was Kayes (74%), followed by Bamako (11%), Koulikoro (10%), Segou (2%), Timbuktu (1%), Mopti (1%), Gao (0.5%), and Kidal (0.5%).
Interestingly, 92% of the children claimed to have arrived in Spain in the years 2023 and 2024. 62% traveled alone, and 94% remain in contact with a family member in their country of origin.
UNHCR reveals that 74% of minors arrived by sea in Spain from Mauritania and Senegal, these being the most used arrival routes to the Canary Islands since the end of 2023 and 2024. During the journey to Spain, 13% of the interviewed children reported having experienced some form of violence, abuse, or other forms of abuse, including sexual violence.
Finally, 42% of the children stated that they are afraid to return to their country of origin, with the main reasons being the presence of an armed conflict, war, or indiscriminate violence, or the fear of being rejected or facing violence from family or the community.