Spain's Castilla y León and Madrid Contest Central Govt's Minor Migrant Allocation

The Spanish central government issued Real Decreto 556/2026, assigning unaccompanied migrant minors to autonomous communities. Castilla y León was allocated 833 minors, a 6.38% rise over the previous figure, which the regional government says far exceeds its demographic growth and exceeds its capacity. The Junta, led by Vice‑President Carlos Pollán (Vox), claims the decree infringes regional competencies and lacks objective criteria. It has filed a legal appeal to challenge the decree.

In the Community of Madrid, the regional executive says the decree assigns 2,471 minor migrants to the region, a number it deems "manifestly illegal." Madrid plans a double judicial offensive: one to contest the lack of processing for 121 family‑reunification cases of minors, and another to contest the allocation decree itself, arguing it was adopted without necessary consultation with the sectoral conference. Both regions argue the central allocation undermines their autonomy and puts undue strain on child‑protection services.