The Spanish government has revealed that only 157 of the 529 unaccompanied migrant children whose transfer files are already complete have actually been moved from the Canary Islands to mainland reception centres.
The figures, presented on 23 January by Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres, expose the slow start-up of the solidarity relocation mechanism that was written into the Aliens Act after overcrowding on the islands reached crisis point in mid-2025. The reform obliges every autonomous community to accept a quota of minors within 15 days once the central government has endorsed the dossier prepared by the region of first arrival. While Ceuta and Melilla have complied in more than 70 % of cases, large regions such as Madrid, Andalusia or Valencia are appealing the scheme in the courts and refusing to receive children – a stance the minister says jeopardises Spain’s ability to prevent renewed humanitarian bottlenecks on its external borders.
Canary Islands officials counter that they send 50–60 files a week, but that the transfers stall when regions decline to take charge of the youngsters. As a result, many children turn 18 in emergency facilities and drop out of the protection system before their cases are resolved – an outcome NGOs warn increases the risk of irregular status and exploitation.
![Spain relocates barely 30 % of unaccompanied minors flown from the Canary Islands]()
For global-mobility and HR teams the dispute is a reminder that immigration policy in Spain is increasingly devolved and politically sensitive. Corporate mobility planners moving staff to Spain’s outer territories should anticipate reputational scrutiny if local welfare infrastructure becomes saturated again, and be ready to meet enhanced child-safeguarding due-diligence obligations when relocating employees accompanied by minors.
Amid such complexity, VisaHQ can streamline the practical side of entering Spain. Via its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service furnishes real-time visa requirements, digital application support and personalised guidance, enabling companies, humanitarian organisations and individual travellers to stay compliant and avoid administrative delays as the legal landscape evolves.
Looking ahead, the government insists it will finish the backlog before the legal deadline of March 2026, but admits further legislative tweaks may be required if opposition-led regions maintain their court challenges. Multinationals with operations in Spain should monitor the debate: a reversal of the 2025 reform would almost certainly trigger fresh pressure on Canary and Mediterranean entry points, potentially affecting business-travel flows and emergency capacity at border posts.
The figures, presented on 23 January by Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres, expose the slow start-up of the solidarity relocation mechanism that was written into the Aliens Act after overcrowding on the islands reached crisis point in mid-2025. The reform obliges every autonomous community to accept a quota of minors within 15 days once the central government has endorsed the dossier prepared by the region of first arrival. While Ceuta and Melilla have complied in more than 70 % of cases, large regions such as Madrid, Andalusia or Valencia are appealing the scheme in the courts and refusing to receive children – a stance the minister says jeopardises Spain’s ability to prevent renewed humanitarian bottlenecks on its external borders.
Canary Islands officials counter that they send 50–60 files a week, but that the transfers stall when regions decline to take charge of the youngsters. As a result, many children turn 18 in emergency facilities and drop out of the protection system before their cases are resolved – an outcome NGOs warn increases the risk of irregular status and exploitation.
For global-mobility and HR teams the dispute is a reminder that immigration policy in Spain is increasingly devolved and politically sensitive. Corporate mobility planners moving staff to Spain’s outer territories should anticipate reputational scrutiny if local welfare infrastructure becomes saturated again, and be ready to meet enhanced child-safeguarding due-diligence obligations when relocating employees accompanied by minors.
Amid such complexity, VisaHQ can streamline the practical side of entering Spain. Via its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service furnishes real-time visa requirements, digital application support and personalised guidance, enabling companies, humanitarian organisations and individual travellers to stay compliant and avoid administrative delays as the legal landscape evolves.
Looking ahead, the government insists it will finish the backlog before the legal deadline of March 2026, but admits further legislative tweaks may be required if opposition-led regions maintain their court challenges. Multinationals with operations in Spain should monitor the debate: a reversal of the 2025 reform would almost certainly trigger fresh pressure on Canary and Mediterranean entry points, potentially affecting business-travel flows and emergency capacity at border posts.
