Migrant minors wait to be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. AFP
Migrant minors wait to be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. AFP
Migrant minors wait to be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. AFP
Migrant minors wait to be tested for Covid-19 upon their arrival to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. AFP

Hundreds of Moroccan children in limbo and sleeping on the streets of Ceuta


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Hundreds of children are thought to be sleeping on the streets of a Spanish enclave after they migrated from Morocco.

About 8,000 people last week swam to Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa bordering Morocco, after Moroccan authorities appeared to loosen controls.

Most adults were returned to Morocco but Spanish law prevents the deportation of unaccompanied minors and those who have not been claimed by their parents need to be rehomed in Spain.

On Wednesday, about 200 unaccompanied children were transferred from Ceuta to various Spanish regions to relieve pressure on the enclave.

Ceuta's only centre for young migrants was full before last week’s influx, forcing authorities to set up temporary facilities to house the latest arrivals.

About 800 underage migrants were last week given shelter in empty warehouses. But the Red Cross estimated that hundreds more were sleeping on the streets.

Isa Brasero, the charity’s spokeswoman in Ceuta, said officials were limited in how much care they could provide.

"We're doing our best to provide the bare minimum, such as water, food and clothing," she said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday accused Morocco of failing to protect its borders.

"The neighbour [Morocco] needs to control its borders as well, and this did not happen," he said.

"We're talking about Spanish cities, about European borders, and this must be respected."

The crisis began more than a week ago when Morocco, angered by news that Western Sahara independence leader Brahim Ghali was receiving hospital treatment in Spain, appeared to let its guard down at the border dividing Ceuta from Melilla, allowing hundreds of people to cross the water.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

As You Were

Liam Gallagher

(Warner Bros)

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Company%20profile
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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.