Red Cross Allegedly Falsified Illegal Immigrants' Ages to Declare Them Minors

The actual age of unjoined minors entering Spain illegally is once again a source of controversy. The Generalitat has recently acknowledged that there are doubts about the authenticity of the documentation provided by these young people. This is compounded by the complaint from the Public Prosecutor's Office, which directly points to the Red Cross.

In its 2023 annual report, the Public Prosecutor's Office indicates that the Red Cross may have falsified the age of these young people so they could enter centers for unjoined minors.

The report highlights the "notable increase" in unjoined minors arriving in Spain compared to the previous year. The vast majority were males, coming, in this order, from Senegal, Morocco, Gambia, and Algeria.

As of December 31, 2023, a total of 12,878 unjoined minors were under the protection services' care. That year, a total of 7,422 proceedings were initiated to determine the age of these young people, compared to 4,805 processed the previous year.

According to the report, 1,755 concluded without determining the age due to abandonment of the centers before tests could be conducted. However, it also raises suspicions about possible Red Cross frauds to falsify the minors' age.

Suspicions of Fraud in Minors' Age

It occurred between August and October, in the province of Tenerife, where the Red Cross was responsible for identifying unjoined minors arriving in small boats. The procedure was based "solely" on the "declaration of minority by the immigrant." This was communicated to the police, who forwarded it to the public prosecutor "without any additional work or assessment."

The Public Prosecutor's Office then initiated an age determination file, finding that "the location of the alleged minor was not being carried out correctly." The report clearly states that "files were being initiated for individuals who were clearly adults and stated so once they were already in the minors' center."

The ministry also states that measures were taken to prevent this "anomaly" from continuing.

Spanish authorities also raise concerns about the passports of some countries, whose authenticity is questionable. This implies that relying solely on the birth date indicated on the passport can be misleading.

Red Cross Under Suspicion

The case directly points to the Red Cross, which, despite being a non-profit organization, receives subsidies for maintaining centers for unjoined minors. The NGO receives additional funding for each minor admitted to these centers.

The aid is allocated to food, accommodation, education, and healthcare for these minors. However, a significant portion of the resources is also allocated to personnel expenses, including the salaries of senior management, which exceed 60,000 euros per year.