Visa Issues Delay Arrival of Sahrawi Children to Alicante

Sahrawi children will return to Alicante this summer with the ' Vacations in Peace 2025 ' programme. Initially, they were supposed to arrive on the night of July 3rd, but due to bureaucratic issues with Algeria, they will land in Spain in the coming weeks.

Óscar Llopis, from the board of the Coordinating Association of Solidarity with the Sahrawi People of the Province of Alicante, has confirmed that they have received an email from the Polisario Front stating that "the issue is practically resolved and visas will be issued soon." Due to this delay in the children's arrival, the return dates in September will be adjusted.

Llopis assures that families are "eager" to welcome the children and that this setback "does not diminish their enthusiasm." Once here, the priority is for the children to undergo medical check-ups to ensure they are in good health and, if not, to treat them.

After these health examinations, the children will experience a summer like any other child. Official receptions are organised by municipalities and the provincial council, and sometimes cultural, sports, and recreational activities are prepared for them.

In total, more than three thousand children will be mobilised across the national territory. Of these, 111 will be hosted in the Valencian Community, with 48 in the province of Alicante. To expedite the departure processes from Algeria, the children are grouped by airports, and all those coming to the region will arrive at Alicante airport.

The 'Vacations in Peace 2025' programme aims for the temporary hosting of minors from the Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Algerian province of Tindouf. Between 2014 and 2024, nearly 34,500 Sahrawi children have benefited from this programme, which was established in the mid-1990s.

To become a host family, it is necessary to apply through one of the associations promoting the project, such as Friends of the Sahrawi People, or by contacting local councils and provincial governments.