Spain updates capacity for unaccompanied migrant children, raising school integration demands

The Spanish government approved a royal decree that revises the ordinary capacity of each autonomous community to host unaccompanied foreign minors. The measure, announced by Minister Elma Saiz, obliges regions to reorganise accommodation resources and to guarantee the right to education for these children, beginning with the 2026‑2027 school year.

The decree sets specific capacity limits based on population: Navarre can receive up to 237 minors, while the highest numbers are allocated to Andalusia (3,009), Catalonia (2,829), Madrid (2,471) and Valencia (1,903). Regions that exceed three times their assigned capacity – currently the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla – are deemed to be in a state of migration contingency and must transfer excess children to other communities.

The reform follows changes to the 2026 foreign‑nationality law that place the best‑interest of the child at the centre of policy. It aims to ease pressure on main arrival points and ensure consistent schooling, language support and classroom integration. Implementation will depend on each autonomous community’s ability to provide additional teaching staff and resources, a point contested by several PP‑led regional governments.