The Government of Castilla-La Mancha, led by Socialist Emiliano García-Page, has joined several regions governed by the Popular Party (PP) in taking legal action against the redistribution of unaccompanied migrant minors to the Constitutional Court.

On Tuesday, the Regional Government's Council authorized a constitutional challenge against the Royal Legislative Decree that facilitates the transfer of unaccompanied minors overcrowded in the Canary Islands and Ceuta to various autonomous communities.

This measure is intended to initiate transfers during the summer and was validated by the Congress of Deputies in April, but has already faced multiple legal challenges, with ten appeals lodged against it.

Central to the regional government's arguments against this redistribution is the issue of funding.

In a press conference following the meeting, spokesperson Esther Padilla stated, "This government agrees that solidarity knows no geographical limits, especially when it concerns children, but accommodating them involves more than just opening doors; it requires ensuring dignified conditions, which necessitate funding." Padilla pointed out that Castilla-La Mancha does not receive any financial assistance for the care of over 500 children, with the associated costs amounting to €26.6 million specifically for social welfare, in addition to expenses related to education and healthcare, which also go unfunded.

However, the redistribution plan promoted by the central government includes allocated resources for receiving communities, amounting to €100 million designated for the relocation of these minors.

If the influx of new minors surpasses Castilla-La Mancha's ordinary capacity for accommodation, the region would receive additional resources to manage this increase.

Padilla emphasized, "We are appealing because we cannot implement this without funding, and taking on such responsibilities without financial support would result in inadequate care, which would further fuel the narrative of the extreme right."

The administration of García-Page also contends that the decree reflects a significant breach of the principle of coordination between the state and autonomous communities, having been enacted without consensus from the Sectorial Conference on Childhood and Adolescence.

Padilla highlighted the concerns over a lack of cooperation and the violation of institutional loyalty that this regulatory approach represents.

Government sources from Castilla-La Mancha indicated support for an agreement reached in 2024 among the PSOE, Sumar, and the Canary Islands Government regarding the redistribution but rejected what they termed "last-minute changes imposed by Puigdemont," referring to negotiations between the national government and the Junts party that facilitated the decree's passage in the Congress.

García-Page is noted to represent the more critical faction within the PSOE regarding the government’s agreements with independence-seeking parties, such as in the recent situation involving amnesty, which also led to constitutional challenges by all PP-governed regions.

Currently, Castilla-La Mancha’s capacity to host migrant minors is among the lowest, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Youth and Childhood, reflecting a performance below 30% of the expected capability.

Pending the finalization of data from all communities, Castilla-La Mancha is expected to become the sixth most affected region in terms of the number of unaccompanied migrant minors it has to accommodate during this redistribution process.

The regional government’s action aligns with similar appeals from Aragón, Madrid, Murcia, Cantabria, Comunidad Valenciana, Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Andalusia, and Castilla y León, all of which have either contested the distribution at the Constitutional Court or announced intentions to do so.

Concurrently, the national government has brought Aragón into the legal fold due to its refusal to provide information regarding the migrant minors in its care, while also evaluating measures to compel other regions that have submitted imprecise data to furnish accurate statistics.

Meanwhile, approximately 5,000 unaccompanied migrant minors, who have arrived in Spain, are currently housed in inadequate conditions in the Canary Islands and Ceuta, awaiting a resolution.