Unaccompanied minors in Ceuta

EN E-006305/2018 Answer given by Mr Avramopoulos on behalf of the European Commission (18.3.2019) Under the Reception Conditions Directive (2013/33/EU), Member States have an obligation to ensure, for children who apply for international protection, a standard of living adequate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development (Article 23(1) of the Directive). Member States are responsible for transposing the standards of protection stemming from EU law into national legislation and for ensuring compliance with them in practice. Member States are free however to choose the practical modalities for ensuring compliance with this protection standard that they deem more appropriate given the specific circumstances that are present on the ground. It appears that what the Honourable Member is referring to are prefabricated modules approved for use by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which the authorities have installed on a temporary basis for 50 unaccompanied minors following a sudden increase in their arrivals of the latter. The Services of the Commission have discussed the issue of overcrowding at centres for minors in Ceuta and Melilla with the Spanish authorities during a recent visit to Spain. The Spanish authorities informed of measures that are planned and implemented, both at the central level and in cooperation with the municipalities, in order to improve reception conditions in general, including for unaccompanied minors. The Commission will continue to closely monitor these developments.