The arrival of unaccompanied migrant minors in Catalonia reached a record number of 3,709 people in 2018 compared to 1,438 the previous year, the majority of Moroccan nationality, which prompted the Casal dels Infants to open the project in the Maghreb country Rassif, aimed at protecting the rights of children on the route to the Peninsula. "We need to work with a transnational vision to give a collective response, with other actors specialized in childhood and with the administration. Between March and November we attended to 307 new cases, 38 of which have been reunited with their families", explains Claire Trichot, director of the Casal dels Infants al Marroc, during her recent visit to Barcelona.
That they regain the bond with their parents does not mean that they return permanently to their home. Their goal is to undertake a crossing or cross the strait as best they can to set foot in Europe. Between January and November 30, the DGAIA has registered the arrival in Catalonia of 2,013 minor migrants, 826 of whom are Moroccan and 851 from sub-Saharan countries.
The Rassif project takes place in Tangier, Casablanca and Nador, cities where children who are waiting for an opportunity to follow the path to Spain live in poverty. It is estimated that more than 25,000 people live on the streets, a number that keeps growing. "During the migration process they deteriorate, they are victims of violence and most fall into addictions, mainly to cola and the [psychotropic] rivotril," comments Trichot.
Of the 307 minors identified, 25 are girls and 17 come from other African countries. Trichot explains that it is important that the first contact is made when they have been on the street for a short time in order to try to get them to return home as soon as possible and not enter a destructive circle. A total of 59 were referred to the territorial child protection devices and 38 were reunited with their family. All of them are given health care, the issue of addictions is worked on, they are monitored and exits are sought through other local organizations. Some offer professional training, other activities such as caring for animals to keep them off the streets and different pedagogical alternatives.
"Most are between 14 and 15 years old, but we have also seen eight or nine. They come from everywhere, from Morocco itself and from sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2019, we have identified more than 700. What we want is to prevent as much as possible the risks related to migration and to show the authorities that they must protect them, although in Morocco it is very complicated, since there there are few resources for children", explains Tricot.
When street life becomes chronic, they can fall into crime, as well as receive abuse. In 2018, 13,203 cases of physical violence against minors were reported and, in 2019, 2,423 of a sexual nature, but the number of victims is suspected to be much higher.
Pompeu Fabra University has also been involved in this initiative with the upcoming launch of a space to train social workers and educators with the participation of the Institut d'Acció Social del Marroc.
