Hundreds of migrants who recently arrived in Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, gathered for a demonstration on a popular urban beach, calling for asylum from Spanish authorities instead of being sent back to Morocco. These migrants are part of the 5,000 to 8,000 individuals who remain in Ceuta following the mass border crossing two weeks ago, which saw over 72,000 people enter the territory. Most of the migrants are living in precarious conditions on El Trampolin beach or on the outskirts of the city, hoping for an opportunity to move on to continental Europe.
Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, expressed the difficulties they are facing, such as sleeping by the sea in cold and unsanitary conditions, with police restricting their movement to the city center. During the protest, migrants displayed Spanish flags and banners with messages like “We don’t want to go back to Morocco” and “We are also human,” while chanting phrases like “We’re tired” and “We need a solution.”
As some migrants washed clothes or fished on the rocky shores, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that irregularly entering migrants would not be allowed to remain in Ceuta, travel to mainland Spain, or gain legal status unless in extreme vulnerability cases. Ceuta’s health services are under immense strain, with the head of the medical board highlighting exhaustion among limited healthcare workers and the emergence of diseases like infectious diarrhea and scabies, as well as an increase in violence-related injuries.
Despite the challenges, Health Minister Monica Garcia denied claims of a collapsed health system but acknowledged the pressure it is under. Most Moroccan migrants cited poor working conditions in their homeland as the driving force behind their migration, with many having higher qualifications but facing low salaries that hinder their ability to secure housing or start families. The migrants, coming from various countries like Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Senegal, are seeking better opportunities and safety in Europe, willing to take any job offered to them.
