Police in Tarragone province on the east coast of Spain warn about migrant families leaving their children outside children’s care homes and police stations to force authorities into making them refugees, allowing parents to come to Spain via family reunification later.
The “sophisticated” operation has recently been uncovered, with Spanish police arresting 30 people accused of abandoning their children.
A New Tactic to Play the System
The tactic was reported on earlier this month and thought to be sporadic isolated cases instead of a larger tendency or deliberate operation.
Menorca’s welfare minister Carmen Reyes reported two children aged 11 and 16, from Morocco and Senegal, respectively, abandoned at a bus station as their parents returned home.
Ibiza reported two North African children abandoned and told to get to a police station and claim refugee status. In July, authorities found a 10-year-old West African boy, left at the El Prat airport in Barcelona.
Such cases amounted to a “systemic pattern of deliberate abandonment of children by their own parents in order to exploit the state’s welfare and guardianship resources,” the Catalonia region police spokesperson outlined.
“The investigation, which began in November 2023, has uncovered how families bring their underage children to Spain on single- or multiple-entry C-type tourist visas, obtained despite the strict financial solvency requirements.”
The spokesman said that minors are “intentionally abandoned” and told by their parents to “declare themselves to be in a situation of neglect” to be admitted to care centers.
“The main objective is for public institutions to assume the costs of maintenance, education, and health, while facilitating the path to future family reunification and the obtaining of residence permits for the minors,” the spokesman said.
The practice is being treated as child abandonment and fraud against the Spanish government, which could amount to £1.3 million worth of social security, with each child’s care estimated to cost €31-140 (£27-122) per day.
Carolina Escandell, Ibiza Council’s Welfare Minister, added, “This is child abandonment and if they were Spanish the parents would be reported.”
Family Reunification
Once the children turn 18, they would be entitled to bring family members into Spain to live with them, something authorities expect parents would demand of them.
In Spain, an applicant’s parents can obtain residency through the Family Reunification Visa if “they are older than 65 and there are reasons substantiating the need to authorize their residence in Spain.” In certain situations, parents under 65 can also be eligible.
The visa requires an initial family reunion permit, which involves proving family connection, residency in Spain, and criminal record checks.
Increasing Numbers Despite Danger
The number of migrants arriving in Spain went up by 84% between January and the end of September. Most of them arrived via sea routes, an incredibly dangerous journey to make, costing many their lives.
While previously the route via the Canary Islands was most popular, this saw a decrease of 87% between the third quarter of 2024 and 2025, according to the report of the Mixed Migration Centre. The Western Mediterranean Sea Route, however, shot up by 31% when comparing the same periods.
The Balearic Islands, despite being a popular tourist resort, have become the new hotspot for arrivals. Its government has voted to reduce benefits to asylum seekers to dim the pull factors for arrivals, as more arrive from Algeria than ever before.
The number of unaccompanied migrant minors arriving in Spain has been on the rise as well, according to Eurostat. Numbers plummeted last year, after a spike in late 2023, but have consistently numbered above 150 a month in 2025.
While the new method spares migrants the deadly sea route, it threatens the lives of their children. Meanwhile, politicians may be deterred from harsh measures as they aim to attract migrants for employment.
