Aragon scraps unaccompanied minor allowance; Alegría defends it

The controversy over Aragon's payments to migrant minors: €68 weekly that no one admits

The Government of Aragon has withdrawn a financial allowance of €17 per week (€68 per month) previously given to each unaccompanied foreign minor hosted in the region. This measure, detected after an internal audit prompted by Vox joining the regional executive, sparked accusations between Education Minister Pilar Alegría and the current regional government.

The minister, from La Zaida (Zaragoza), described these minors as "sons and daughters of the Government of Aragon" and criticized the removal of the aid, which according to department sources lacked budgetary allocation. The total amount spent on these payments has not been officially quantified but is estimated to affect several hundred youths under guardianship.

Did the allowance exist? The debate over data

While the department claims it was irregular spending without budget coverage, fact-checkers like Maldita.es note that all autonomous communities deny specific benefits for unaccompanied minors. However, the Aragon case reveals cash amounts were indeed provided for the minors' "free disposal," a system some deem opaque.

The controversy is not new: public debate pits those viewing these aids as uncontrolled public money leaks against those defending them as part of the reception system. One user noted, "If there's no money for contributory pensions, there shouldn't be for non-contributory handouts," reflecting social discontent.

The political factor: Pilar Alegría, scrutiny versus the people

The minister, who won over 80% of votes in her municipality in recent elections, has become a target of criticism. Meanwhile, La Zaida hosts no migrant minor reception centers, a paradox not overlooked. "It's easy to make anti-smoking laws, but hard to make anti-squatter ones," an analyst ironically remarked.

The decision to withdraw the payment falls within the expense audit Vox demanded upon entering the regional government. The responsible Counselor cited potential savings in unrevealed figures, though the underlying debate transcends economics: the tension between state guardianship and individual responsibility.

The core dilemma: Paternalistic state or lack of protection?

Beyond mutual accusations, this case poses an uncomfortable question: Should the State act as a father for minors who arrived alone? The phrase "children of the Government of Aragon" used by the minister reflects a view where administration replaces biological family. Conversely, some argue parents should be located and minors repatriated, labeling their stay in Spain as "kidnapping."

The clash of arguments will have consequences. Meanwhile, the allowance—whose existence some doubt—has vanished, along with an income source for youths who, according to reports, spent it on "tobacco and glue" per critics, or basic needs per defenders.

The lingering question remains: Who now bears the cost of supporting these minors?