Spain Uncovers Scheme Where Migrant Parents Abandon Children to Exploit Asylum System
Spain Uncovers Scheme Where Migrant Parents Abandon Children to Exploit Asylum System
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Spanish police have uncovered a large-scale operation in which migrant parents allegedly travel to Spain on tourist visas and abandon their children to exploit the asylum and welfare system, The Telegraph reported. The scheme, described by police as “sophisticated,” involves parents leaving minors outside police stations and care homes before returning to their home countries, allowing the children to enter state custody as unaccompanied refugees.
Authorities in Tarragona, on Spain’s eastern coast, said 30 people have been arrested on suspicion of child abandonment, aiding illegal immigration, and defrauding the government. Police estimate the social security costs of caring for the abandoned children could reach £1.3 million. Investigators believe the goal of the parents was to use the children to secure future family reunification and legal residence in Spain.
The investigation, which began in November 2023, revealed that families obtained C-type tourist visas—typically requiring proof of financial solvency—to enter Spain. Once inside, they allegedly instructed their children to claim neglect so that public institutions would assume responsibility for their housing, education, and healthcare. Authorities said the practice places a financial strain on Spain’s child protection system, which spends between €31 and €140 per child per day.
Officials in the Balearic Islands, including Ibiza and Menorca, recently reported similar cases involving children from Morocco, Senegal, and North Africa. Local welfare ministers described the situation as a growing trend rather than isolated incidents and warned that it could lead to an increase in deliberate child abandonment cases.
The Spanish National Police have coordinated efforts with the Directorate-General for Child Protection in Tarragona to address the issue. Meanwhile, the Right-wing Popular Party has called for a comprehensive audit of the care system for unaccompanied minors across Catalonia.
The Balearic government, already struggling with rising numbers of undocumented arrivals by boat from Algeria, has voted to tighten asylum benefits amid concerns the islands are becoming a magnet for migrants. Authorities reported that irregular sea arrivals to the Balearics rose by 84% between January and September 2025 compared with the same period last year.
