Mr. Juan Carlos Aparicio Pérez
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
Agust’n de Bethencourt, 4
28003 Madrid
Spain

Fax: ++34 91 554 7528

Dear Minister,

I am writing to express my concern about abuses of children in Ceuta and Melilla described in the Human Rights Watch report, Nowhere to Turn: State Abuses of Unaccompanied Migrant Children by Spain and Morocco. The report documents cases of children under the guardianship of the Ceuta and Melilla Departments of Social Welfare who were abused by staff and other children in government-funded residential centers, and denied health, education, and other benefits guaranteed them in Spanish law. In some cases children who qualified for vocational training were unable to participate in the practical, work-related aspects of such training because they had not been issued the necessary work permits.

I urge you actively monitor conditions in residential facilities for unaccompanied migrant children to ensure that they comply with international standards, and monitor the Departments of Social Welfare to ensure that all unaccompanied migrant children who qualify for vocational training receive the required work permits. I also urge the Ministry to earmark additional funding for the care and protection of unaccompanied migrant children in Ceuta and Melilla, with an emphasis on funding for the creation of smaller, home-type residential facilities with adequate, trained professional staff.

I look forward to receiving your reply, and thank you for your attention to this important human rights matter.

Sincerely,