La Linea & Algeciras centres await decision on whether to receive migrant children

Reception centres in Algeciras and La Línea are awaiting a decision on whether unaccompanied migrant children from Ceuta will be transferred to mainland Spain following last week's migration crisis.

The Spanish authorities report that more than a thousand children are now being cared for in Ceuta after the mass crossing from Morocco, leaving the city's reception system operating far beyond capacity.

Ceuta's President, Juan Jesús Vivas, has appealed to the Spanish Government and the country's autonomous regions for help, describing the situation as "absolutely at its limit".

Neither the Andalusian regional government nor Spain's central government has confirmed whether children will be transferred to reception centres in the Campo de Gibraltar.

The region has two centres capable of accommodating unaccompanied minors, one in Algeciras and another in La Línea.

Meanwhile, the Guardia Civil and National Police continue to maintain an enhanced security presence along the Strait after several migrant boats reached the Campo de Gibraltar over the weekend.

Spanish authorities say the number of attempted crossings has fallen in recent days, although maritime patrols remain in place amid concerns that people-smuggling networks could seek to exploit the continuing humanitarian crisis in Ceuta.