A European Parliament fact-finding mission to the Canary Islands has revealed that around half of migrants who claimed to be unaccompanied minors upon arrival were ultimately determined to be adults. The Committee on Petitions conducted the visit in September 2025 to assess the impact of illegal immigration on the Spanish archipelago. According to a draft report from earlier this month, prosecutors informed MEPs that “among approximately 1,500 unaccompanied minors whose age was not clear and who were subjected to age-assessment procedures at their arrival to the adult reception centers, around half of them were ultimately determined to be adults.” The report also acknowledged systemic weaknesses in the initial screening process, stating that “initial assessments by police are often inaccurate, leading to some being misplaced in the wrong center before their age is confirmed.” The scale of arrivals remains significant. By Aug. 31, 2025, 201 boats had reached the Canary Islands in that year carrying 12,249 migrants, including 9,955 men, 782 women, 192 minors traveling with parents, and 1,320 unaccompanied minors. Authorities recorded 629 individuals whose age was in doubt, and officials noted that 92 percent of arrivals were male. This aligns with the findings from across Europe. In 2023, Frontex data indicated that […]