Young migrants from our Starfish Program participate in research project about African migrant youth that come to Spain

DPC recently participated in the final day of the research project MENASMED: Minors and young African migrants in transcontinental route through the Strait of Gibraltar; study of the situation and proposals for intervention, funded by the Andalusian Agency for International Cooperation and Development Exp: 0I004/201.

The conference was attended by the director of the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation, the research team of the Abdelmalek Essaadi University of Morocco and the research team of the University of Seville to share the results of the project. A round table was also held to discuss the most relevant points of the research.

It should be noted that the consul of Tetuan did not grant a travel visa to one of the Moroccan professors, which is curious to say the least… given the purpose of the meeting. It is also surprising that a project to study the reality of foreign minors and young people arriving in Spain without their family references is financed with public money and access to the minors not being given to the researchers afterwards.

The research has been carried out with the collaboration of the Sevilla Acoge Foundation, which was also present at the meeting. We would like to thank Marta Farré for her work, her attitude, and her good work with the participating migrants.Kone, as well as other young people who are currently part of our Starfish Program, actively participated in this research that, we hope, will contribute to the reflection and real transformation of the situation.

Ilham and Kone represented the young research subjects at the final round table. As far as circumstances allowed, they contributed their testimony to the debate talking about the intervention processes carried out by the various local entities and the real needs and challenges faced by minors arriving alone in Spain.

At the end of 2022, a documentary will be released that gathers all the testimonies of this work and a book with the results is in the process of being published.

As an organization, we find interesting that these spaces for dialogue exist as an effort to approach the situation of migrant youth. They give us important parameters to consider in our model of accompaniment always emphasized by the “singularity”; by a singular look that places each person as the protagonist of his or her singular process of inclusion.

It is also a timely debate that brings to the table reflections on the treatment and actions towards minors and youth of Moroccan and sub-Saharan origin both in northern Morocco and in Andalusia.

The legislation, agreements and social structures created to ensure the welfare of youth, especially in migratory processes ­–both in Spain and Morocco– “contrast” with the reality that is lived. An example of this is the recent events of June 24, 2022, at the border of Melilla where there has been a clear violation of human rights towards these people, among them, many minors, and young people.

We are proud of the courage of our young people sharing their testimonies and lending their voice to those who are unable to do so! From DPC we will continue to support a comprehensive accompaniment that puts at the center of the process the people affected by these circumstances and contributing –from our awareness-raising actions of the Raindrops Program–, to spread more and more the reality of migrant youth in Andalusia.