Mallorca: 503 migrant children spark a numbers row
Mallorca’s socialists are demanding answers after the Instituto Mallorquín de Asuntos Sociales (IMAS) said it was caring for 503 unaccompanied migrant children on 18 September. The party says earlier information from the island authority put the number at about 200. It wants IMAS to spell out why the totals differ and where the children are being housed.
The disputed earlier figure came in an IMAS reply dated 15 July, according to the Socialist group in the Consell de Mallorca. It said 202 children and young people were in centres specifically for unaccompanied foreign minors.
Socialist spokeswoman Sofía Alonso said the group asks each month for a list of centres and how many places are occupied. The latest figure, she said, is 503 unaccompanied minors under care in Mallorca, while the previous data showed 202 in specialist centres.
Alonso accused Consell de Mallorca president Llorenç Galmés of using the children in his political dispute with Spain’s central government and in an effort to win favour with Vox. She said the issue should be discussed with reliable figures, transparency and respect, adding that every headline represents a child.
The Socialists say IMAS must now make clear what is included in each monthly count and which services are accommodating the children.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com