Mec de La Rue (MdLR), we are an organization committed to migrant children and youth in Melilla. For more than 30 years, we have been accompanying girls, boys and young people living in the streets and centers of the city from a gender and human rights perspective. MdLR is a French expression meaning "street kid", a name that represents our commitment and closeness to this brave and vulnerable population whom we support on their way to a better life.

Melilla is a city of 12km2 , surrounded by the sea and enclosed by a fence, bordering Morocco. Melilla has three fences that run the length of the city, of which the one belonging to Morocco contains concertina (barbed wire), while Spain removed it by UN imposition. There are four border crossings in Melilla: Farhana, Mariguari, Barrio Chino and Beni-Enzar (international). The latter is the most used, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with thousands of people passing through on foot or by vehicle.

The Moroccan city bordering Melilla is Nador. It is estimated that in its mountains there are thousands of people, without running water or electricity, waiting for their time to reach Europe. Behind this reality are the mafias, who offer several ways to do so: jumping the fence, hiding in the undercarriage of a truck or going by boat. It has been demonstrated that, on occasions, after jumping the fence, the so-called "hot returns" take place, in which migrants are returned illegally, bypassing their right to request asylum when they set foot on Spanish soil.

The moment a migrant arrives in Melilla, by land or sea, he/she runs to the CETI (Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes), where he/she has the right to request international protection and to remain there until he/she finds an alternative. On the contrary, unaccompanied foreign minors (or children migrating alone) go to La Purisima, the center for minors. However, many of them flee from its facilities. Because of this in Melilla there are many children living on the street. On the other hand, on the day of their coming of age, if their documentation has not been processed, their belongings are handed over to them and they are expelled from the center, going to live in shacks or in the port until they manage to sneak onto a boat.

With all this, from MdLR we accompany these children, mostly of Moroccan origin and with an average age of 16 to 20 years, excluded within the autonomous city itself, and with many needs to cover. We have a place where we carry out leisure activities and courses (for example Spanish), we deliver dinners 3 days a week, and accompany them on a daily basis (to the dentist, doctor, immigration, etc.). For this we have a small team of volunteers, which during the holiday period is expanded with people coming from all over the peninsula. In addition, we work in network with other entities.

What are we going to do?

Students will be able to support different actions according to their training. Law students will be able to provide legal support and guidance (most of them are asylum seekers). Students of teaching or international relations will be able to support in Spanish classes (something essential in view of their passage to the peninsula). Psychology students will be able to carry out psycho-social accompaniment workshops (small groups where they can talk about grief, expectations, bonds...).

All the people will be able to support in the leisure activities (beach, soccer, etc), day to day accompaniment according to the needs of the moment (doctor, appointments, etc) and dinner delivery (they can also be in charge of the previous preparation).

Activity schedule:

• Monday to Friday from 4pm to 8pm: activities on the premises and accompaniment on the beach.Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9pm to 10pm: dinner delivery.

• Saturday afternoons (flexible schedule)

In the mornings, volunteers can prepare or modify workshops according to the needs detected, prepare cases if they provide legal accompaniment or prepare classes and materials if they teach Spanish. The children sleep during the morning, so the activity with them begins after midday, unless they need to be accompanied to an appointment.

Other information.

On the one hand, you will find information on the website. From the entity we can send material related to unaccompanied minors. It is also very helpful for volunteers to know the complex reality of the autonomous city and the specific reality of migrants in it.

Young people and adolescents, mostly of Moroccan origin and with an average age of 16 to 20 years, living on the street in Melilla.

All students selected for the VUELA program will receive common training for participation in volunteer activities. 

Consult YOUR UNIVERSITY in the following links for training dates, location and conditions.  Don't forget to mark them in your calendar. This training is mandatory and is part of the project. 

The field accompaniment will be carried out by the organization itself throughout the project, as well as by a person from the convening universities who will accompany the experience in the field.

Rental of a shared apartment in Melilla and common bag for food during the first part of the project. 

The organization will help in the search of the apartment and will facilitate the entrance. Each volunteer will have to contribute individually an equal amount for all to the common bag to cover the costs of rent and maintenance. The amounts will be communicated prior to arrival, as well as the method of payment. 

Information on the possibility and conditions of financial support for these concepts can be found below, by consulting YOUR UNIVERSITY:

The student is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation to the intervention site, and must inform the project's reference university of the date and time of arrival at least 15 days in advance.

Comillas Pontifical University (María Iglesias Martínez)