Rights and guarantees of unaccompanied minors: Researching the best interest principle in the Spanish welfare state

Abstract

Children enjoy particularly strong protection from international and European regulations. At the national level, Ley Orgánica 1/1996, de 15 de Enero, de Protección Jurídica Del Menor, de Modificación Parcial Del Código Civil y de La Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil and Ley 26/2015, de 28 de julio, de modificación del sistema de protección a la infancia y a la adolescencia, inter alia, materialise those guarantees. However, the problem arises when talking about unaccompanied migrant minors, since the laws on migration also come into play. In this case, it is a challenge to determine what the superior good of the minor is and how to make it prevail. For that reason, the present chapter analyses the regulations applicable to immigrant minors arriving in Spain; in particular, in Andalusia, and evaluates how this regulation affects the rights of these minors. This assessment will allow determining whether the legislation, which theoretically seeks to ensure the best interests of the child, is as effective as it is hoped