Hundreds of migrants who recently arrived in Ceuta, a North African enclave of Spain, gathered for a demonstration on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to provide them with asylum instead of sending them back to Morocco. These individuals were part of the group of 5,000 to 8,000 migrants who remained in Ceuta following a mass border crossing two weeks ago, which witnessed over 72,000 people entering the small territory with a population of about 80,000. The majority of those who crossed voluntarily returned in the days that followed.
Facing overstretched resources in the city, most migrants were living in precarious conditions on El Trampolin beach or in the outskirts of the city while hoping for an opportunity to move on to mainland Europe. Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, expressed the challenges they were facing, mentioning that they were sleeping by the sea in harsh conditions and encountering obstacles from the police preventing them from accessing the city center.
During the protest, the migrants displayed Spanish flags and banners with messages such as “We don’t want to go back to Morocco” and “We are also human,” accompanied by chants like “We’re tired” and “We need a solution.” Some migrants were seen washing clothes and fishing on the rocky shores behind them.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated earlier that irregularly entered migrants would not be permitted to stay in Ceuta, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, except in rare cases of extreme vulnerability. Ceuta’s medical board head, Enrique Roviralta, highlighted the strain on the city’s limited healthcare workers, expressing concerns about outbreaks of diseases like infectious diarrhea and scabies, as well as an increase in violence-related injuries.
Health Minister Monica Garcia refuted claims that local health services had collapsed but acknowledged the pressure they were under. She condemned associating migration with illness as unjust and xenophobic, noting a moderate risk of epidemic outbreaks for migrants and a low risk for residents.
Moroccan migrants interviewed by Reuters cited poor working conditions in their country as the driving force behind their migration, despite holding higher qualifications. They expressed their struggles and aspirations for a better life in Europe, emphasizing the challenges they faced in their home countries.