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Children left alone in Granada after families enter Spain on tourist visas
The Policía Nacional is investigating eight alleged cases of child abandonment linked to residence permits, education and family reunification
Children have been presented at police stations in Granada as unaccompanied minors after travelling to Spain on tourist visas with relatives from North Africa, according to the Policía Nacional.Officers are investigating whether the children were deliberately left behind so they could obtain a residence authorisation, which may eventually allow family reunification, and gain access to free education and maintenance.
The Policía Nacional has opened eight investigations and arrested eight people in connection with the alleged offences. Several minors have been returned to their families. Further lines of inquiry remain open and police expect more arrests in the coming weeks.
The investigation concerns two alleged offences: facilitating irregular immigration and abandoning minors. Both carry prison sentences and fines.
A familiar pattern
Investigators say many of the cases follow a similar pattern. The children are described as coming from affluent backgrounds in their countries of origin, with many speaking English or French.
They are said to have arrived at police stations wearing designer clothes in good condition, despite often claiming to have crossed the border hidden in lorries or other forms of transport.
Some children arrive alone. Others are accompanied by third parties or by relatives who already live in Spain.
In many cases, police say, the children claim not to know the people with them or say they were recently found wandering. Investigators allege that only hours may have passed since their parents returned to their own country.
Why police are concerned
The Policía Nacional says the alleged aim was to create the appearance that a child had arrived in Spain alone and without protection.
A residence permit obtained on that basis could, over time, open the way for relatives to join the child through family reunification. Access to free schooling and maintenance is also part of the suspected motive.
The number of cases has been increasing gradually, according to investigators. Since the start of 2026, legal proceedings have been opened in Granada province after the arrival of 19 unaccompanied foreign migrant children.
The eight arrests relate to the alleged offences of facilitating irregular immigration and child abandonment. Police have not named those detained or released details of individual cases.
The investigation remains active, with officers continuing to examine the circumstances of each arrival and further arrests expected in the coming weeks.
Image: Policia Nacional/X.com
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