Madrid finds 70% of claimed unaccompanied minor migrants are adults

In 2024 Madrid opened 848 age‑determination proceedings for people claiming to be unaccompanied foreign minors. Of the 378 migrants who completed a wrist‑X‑ray bone‑age test, 266 (about 70%) were confirmed as adults, while only 112 were minors. The regional government filed 29 police complaints after discovering adults placed in child‑protection facilities.

National data show 7,562 pre‑procedural age‑determination cases this year, with 2,457 concluded that the claimants were adults. Similar high rates of age fraud have been reported elsewhere in Europe: 80% of tested claimants in France’s Marne department were adults, 73.7% in Belgium, 84% in Sweden, and around 40% in Germany.

Authorities say minor status grants migrants housing, education, health care and stronger protection against deportation, creating incentives for false claims. The findings have sparked calls for stricter age‑verification procedures and raise concerns about resource strain on systems meant for genuine child migrants.