In recent weeks, a significant number of migrants who arrived in the Spanish territory of Ceuta have congregated on a beach far from the city's center. They have been spending their nights on cardboard boxes and makeshift shelters made from reeds, while vigilantly guarding their scant belongings stored in worn-out plastic bags. On Thursday morning, Spanish police escorted these individuals to improvised shelters, yet just an hour later, others were rummaging through the garbage they had left behind, searching for anything useful—a discarded mattress, plastic chairs, sheets, or a piece of tarp. This scene starkly illustrates the humanitarian crisis facing Ceuta, where as many as 10,000 migrants have remained in the city weeks after an initial influx, during which more than 72,000 migrants surged into the small Spanish territory adjacent to Morocco.
Three weeks following this initial wave, Spanish authorities are grappling with challenges in providing shelter and support to those who refuse to leave, along with struggling to accurately determine how many migrants are still present in the city of 84,000 inhabitants. Shortly after the first surge at the border, which resulted in at least 90 deaths, most migrants returned to Morocco, realizing the difficulties of staying in Ceuta and their limited opportunities to reach mainland Europe. However, thousands chose to remain, hiding in forests, along beaches, and in the outskirts of a migrant reception center.
Local authorities estimate that between 9,000 and 10,000 migrants—including around 2,000 minors—may still be in the city, based on the daily food rations distributed by aid groups. In contrast, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior places this number at approximately 5,000 individuals.
Challenges Faced by Migrants and Calls for Action
The United Nations refugee agency highlighted, in an interview with The Associated Press, the vast humanitarian and operational challenges in Ceuta, particularly regarding migrants' access to shelter, basic services, and food. While most of those who crossed the border in late July were from Morocco, there were also individuals from war-torn countries including Sudan, Mali, and Yemen making the perilous journey.
The agency has urged the Spanish government to expedite the processing of asylum applications, estimating that around 1,200 migrants in Ceuta might be eligible for international protection, according to Paula Barrachina, the agency's spokesperson in Spain. The Spanish government asserts that it is already working to accommodate the remaining migrants in the city and restore a sense of normalcy to Ceuta. On Thursday, Elma Saiz, Spain's Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, announced that the government had secured space to house 1,800 migrants in a parking lot and a military facility that is sometimes used for religious events.
Nonetheless, an Associated Press photographer observed migrants wandering the streets on Thursday, while hundreds of women and children sought refuge in makeshift centers run by local residents. Khadija Rifai, a 20-year-old Moroccan woman, acknowledged that some migrants were receiving assistance but expressed confusion about what Spain planned to do with adults like her. “They help minors and young people, but they haven’t found any solution for us,” Rifai reported on Wednesday, recounting that life in Morocco had been “normal.” However, at the end of July, she and her husband swam to Spanish territory seeking better opportunities and medical care. While her husband was returned to Morocco, she hid from authorities and remained in Ceuta, hoping to reunite with him and eventually relocate to mainland Spain to start a family.
Growing Discontent and the Road Ahead for Migrants
The mayor of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has accused the national government of failing to adequately control the situation. On Thursday, Spanish police escorted several hundred migrants, mostly men, from the beach through the city streets to a shelter. Vivas, a member of the center-right Popular Party, stated that the government's decision to move migrants from the beach to other locations within the city “does not show a willingness to resolve the problem.” The Ministry of Migration in Spain announced that the government has allocated €6.5 million (approximately $7.6 million) in emergency funds to assist the city in managing the new arrivals. In remarks made in Ceuta this week, Minister Saiz praised the work of local organizations in the enclave, noting that since August 3, 4,000 meals have been distributed daily to migrants.
A spokesperson for the ministry explained that the Spanish government must process each case individually. Before this can occur, police must identify those who entered the city illegally, verify each migrant's nationality and background, determine who qualifies for international protection, and establish who must leave, either voluntarily or forcibly. Migrants in Ceuta express their willingness to endure the uncertainty. Days earlier, hundreds gathered in protest on a beach in Ceuta, carrying banners with the word “Asylum” alongside Spanish flags. Mohamed Yaqoub, an 18-year-old migrant from Chad, recounted how, at the end of July, he hid for days in the forest after being pursued by several Spanish soldiers. He managed to stay and aspires to continue his studies in France, although the journey will not be easy. Travelers departing from Ceuta and Melilla, the other Spanish territory in North Africa, face exit checks at ports and airports, presenting a significant hurdle for migrants who have entered these territories illegally and hope to reach mainland Europe. “We ask them to let us in and provide us with the necessary papers and documents,” Yaqoub told an AP photographer in a text message. “The most important thing for us is to get the papers.”
As reported by chicagotribune.com.
