By Bernardo López Marín and Gianmaria Lenti | Issue 25
“They are seen as Ceuta’s worst nightmare: allegedly innocent and so protected; hence too dangerous” (anonymous local activist)
In the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, sharing a land border with the Kingdom of Morocco and facing the Strait of Gibraltar, Moroccan unaccompanied minors face social exclusion and discrimination, while being subjected to severe xenophobic discourses and practices that strip them of their childhood innocence. This article delves into these issues from an anthropological perspective, based on seven months of fieldwork that included participant observation, 20 semi-structured interviews, and numerous informal conversations with activists, humanitarian workers, and locals.
The context of Ceuta
The enclave is a crossroads for South-North migration and a focal juncture of the EU border regime, where conspicuous funding continuously flows towards militarisation in the name of Europe’s security, as it also does towards Morocco. Ceuta’s heavily fenced land border is a hard-to-cross gateway for many seeking to build a future in Europe. Among these migrants are unaccompanied minors, often referred to as MENAs (Menores Extranjeros No Acompañados); an expression that has gradually acquired derogatory connotations thanks to far-right propaganda. Rhetoric developed by national (far-)right-wing parties does not reflect these children’s experience. These minors frequently encounter hostile environments wherein they are seen not as vulnerable individuals in need of protection, but as leeches of the social security system who threaten social order, national security, and cultural purity.
Narratives of stigmatisation
Our research reveals that social and political discourses in Ceuta systematically stigmatise Moroccan unaccompanied minors. Racist and xenophobic narratives frame those children as potential criminals and societal burdens, rather than as individuals who can offer a lot to the local society in the future, if they are offered opportunities to regularise their migratory status and get an education. Derivatively, those who support them are commonly blamed for betrayal. As some activists claim, intersectional discrimination against these children arises from the four ‘Ms’: migrants, minors, Moroccans and Muslims. Such views are perpetuated by media portrayals, political rhetoric, and local gossip, creating an environment of fear and suspicion that neither contributes to these minors’ human development nor does it enhance their quality of life.
Double-edged institutional policies and community practices
Both institutional policies and community practices play significant roles in the stigmatisation process. Policies often fail to provide adequate protection and support for these minors, and rather keep on subjecting them to detention, deportation, or institutional neglect. For instance, the centres designed to house unaccompanied minors are frequently overcrowded and under-resourced, leading to inadequate care and supervision that often push them to live in destitution within the enclave’s streets and port, in the hope of finding their way to Europe autonomously. These realities, compounding with the historical controversies between Spain and Morocco, reinforce the perception of these children as a problem, rather than individuals in need. Their roaming around town, dressing in dirty clothes and broken sandals, and attempting to sneak into cargo boats translate their image into a mark of social degradation that must be erased. Furthermore, lack of institutional protection increases when these minors turn eighteen and become irregularised migrants, given the impossibility they face to renew their resident permits. These circumstances lead to further social exclusion by hindering access to education, work insertion and pathways to citizenship.
Community practices further exacerbate this issue. In several instances, residents, right-wing groups and even some humanitarian workers participate in discriminatory actions, ranging from verbal abuse to physical violence against these minors. Such hostility is often justified under the guise of protecting the community from perceived threats, further entrenching the negative stereotypes associated with Moroccan unaccompanied minors and intensifying their social exclusion.
Civil society's role
The role of civil society in this context is complex. While some organisations and individuals work tirelessly to support these minors, offering legal assistance and education, emotional support is complicated given the traumas and resentment resulting from the treatment they have endured. The political controversies with Morocco exacerbate these tensions, leading to a divided civil society sharing its living space in the so-called ‘city of the four cultures’. Some groups align with nationalist sentiments, viewing the minors as part of a broader political conflict and an instrument of the Kingdom’s expansion and influence, while others advocate for more humane approaches to open the doors for opportunities and equality.
Denying childhood innocence
The denial of childhood innocence to Moroccan unaccompanied minors mirrors broader societal anxieties and political agendas. These children are caught in a multilayered regime of racism, social exclusion, repression, humanitarianism, and compassion. They are depicted as ‘others’ who do not belong and repressed through harsh policies and practices, while being offered humanitarian aid that is often conditional, indoctrinating, and insufficient. Conversely, their entitlement to minors’ fundamental rights makes them uncomfortable migrants, given that their deportation is often hindered by national law and international conventions. The special status arising from their vulnerability further fuels negative sentiments of rejection at the societal and political level, while the assistance they receive is at times seen as taken away from Spanish nationals in need.
This complex interplay of factors reveals deep-seated fears about security and cultural identity within Ceuta and, by extension, Spain. The portrayal of these minors as threats rather than vulnerable children in need of care and protection underscores a troubling narrative that prioritises exclusion and hatred over protection.
The need for ethical and inclusive approaches
Our findings highlight the urgent need for approaches that recognise the vulnerability and rights of Moroccan unaccompanied minors. Current policies fail to provide adequate protection, support, and integration opportunities for these children, including those who turn eighteen and lose State protection. Indeed, ensuring that housing facilities are safe and adequately resourced, offering educational and vocational training, and providing legal and psychological support are still irrelevant objectives in mainstream political agendas.
Community actions face a challenge in fostering further inclusion rather than exacerbating marginalisation. Hence, there is an urgent need to contest xenophobic narratives and practices, promoting intercultural dialogue and supporting local initiatives that advocate for these minors’ rights and wellbeing. By shifting the focus from fear and exclusion to empathy and support, communities can help restore the innocence and dignity these children deserve.
Conclusions
The treatment of Moroccan unaccompanied minors in Ceuta sheds light on the broader issues of xenophobia and exclusion within migration contexts funded by the EU’s border regime. By examining discourses and practices that surround these minors, this article underscores the need for more inclusive approaches that uphold their rights and wellbeing. Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts from policymakers, civil society, and communities to recognise and protect the innocence and humanity of all children, regardless of origin, religion and skin colour.
Dr. Bernardo López Marín is a postdoctoral researcher at Durham University, UK. He was awarded a PhD in Anthropology by La Trobe University, Australia. His research focused on regularised migration in Mexico and Morocco, emphasising the effects and consequences of border regimes and migration governance in the lives of people on a journey, inspecting the challenges of border regimes, being stuck, destitution, sociocultural and religious differences and racism. Bernardo completed an MSc in Social Anthropology and specialised in political anthropology, international migration and human displacement at the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico City. He obtained a BA in Native American Indian Languages and Cultures from the University of Copenhagen.
Email: bernamarin@yahoo.dk
Dr. Gianmaria Lenti has a PhD in Social Anthropology from the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, and he is currently appointed as Honorary Adjunct of the Department of Social Inquiry at La Trobe University in Melbourne. His main research explores the experiences and emotions of migrants in Mexico and Turkey, although he also conducted fieldwork in Morocco, Greece, and Spain. He completed an MSc in Social Science in Development and International Relations - Global Refugee Studies - at Aalborg University, in Copenhagen, after finalising a BA in Languages and Cultural Mediation at the University of Roma Tre.
Email: gianmarialenti@gmail.com
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