Ceuta Migrant Crisis Deepens as Thousands Sleep on Streets and Officials Warn of Disaster

One month after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta, local officials say the tiny border city is still facing a deeply volatile crisis and remains dangerously close to breaking point.

While the majority of those who entered Ceuta have since gone back to Morocco, authorities estimate that between 3,500 and 7,000 people are still in the enclave, with many sheltering in makeshift camps and beachside shanty settlements.

Police and security officials say Ceuta has been hit by near-daily unrest, including confrontations with members of the armed forces and reports of numerous sexual assaults.

Public safety specialists told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the situation could deteriorate further if tensions continue to rise.

Describing the mood in the city, one expert claimed that many of those considered easier to manage had already departed, adding that “the worst of the worst” were still there.

‘Little by little, they’re running out of the money they brought from Morocco. For them, topping up their mobile phone credit is a vital necessity, which could lead them to do foolish things… In short, it’s only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.’

Ceuta’s chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, has said there has been ‘an exponential increase’ in crimes such as sexual assault, including against minors.

‘There is indeed concern. Above all, there is concern for the victims. Furthermore, we also understand that this is a crime that generates considerable public alarm,’ she told El Pais newspaper.

The Spanish ministry of equality confirmed 21 sexual assaults in the last month, five of which involved penetration and nine of which were committed against minors. 

Thefts have also increased, with two Moroccans currently in prison after stealing money and documents from a neighbour’s home.

Salvador Ortega, a Ceutan local, told the Daily Mail that things have ‘worsened significantly’ in the past month.

‘There is a great deal of tension between the residents and the invaders,’ he added.

‘There have been confrontations between some residents and migrants, as well as incidents requiring intervention by law enforcement and security forces. 

‘Acts of vandalism and episodes of violence have occurred, causing particular concern among the local population.’

The Spanish minister for equality Ana Redondo condemned the sexual assaults committed in Ceuta, while also warning people not to generalise.

‘There is no room for nuance, excuses, or political calculations when it comes to sexual violence. Every assault is intolerable, and every victim has the right to receive full protection and a full response from the institutions,’ she said.

‘The responsibility for an assault always lies with the perpetrator and cannot be extended to all migrants, criminalising people based on their origin or the color of their skin.’

There have been four documented cases of attacks against soldiers consecutively since last week.

On Thursday a patrol was ambushed with large stones thrown at their vehicle, leaving four soldiers injured. Twelve suspects were arrested.

On Friday a military patrol reported that bottles containing homemade corrosive liquid containing cleaning products and chemicals had been thrown.

And on Saturday another military patrol was ambushed with stones, leaving one soldier wounded. 

Then on Sunday the Civil Guard arrested three migrants after they threw bottles of corrosive liquid at an army patrol. 

Violence has also erupted between migrants and Ceutan residents, as tensions rise in the enclave. Last week, locals stormed a makeshift migrant camp and set it on fire.

Video footage shows thousands of locals charging down and destroying the camp on Thursday as droves of worried migrants watch on.

Residents can be seen throwing migrants’ belongings including bags into the water before unfurling Spanish flags and waving them.

The furious locals also torched the camp located on the beach before police created a barrier between the protesters and migrants.

As the protest intensified, police did not appear to intervene and instead stood mere feet away as chants were shouted in the background.

Spain’s interior minister called for calm after the camp was destroyed during the protest against the mass influx of migrants.

‘Violence is not the answer,’ Fernando Grande-Marlaska told Spanish parliament today.

‘I call for calm and an end to any form of violence, because violence is not the way to resolve any problem with the complexity’ of the situation in Ceuta, he added.

Juan Vivas, the head of Ceuta’s local government, said peaceful protests against the migrants were justified but any acts of vandalism would be condemned.

‘We totally reject the use of any kind of violence,’ he said during an address. ‘No one can or should take the law into their own hands. The defence of Ceuta and the interests of its people can only be pursued through legality.’

Meanwhile, hard-Right parties have demanded that the government immediately round up the migrants and send them back to their native countries.

Mr Grande-Marlaska accused those political parties of ‘inciting hatred’ on the Spanish enclave ahead of the general election next year.

Local resident Salvador Ortega, however, says ‘lack of returns is encouraging these individuals to remain in the city for an extended period’.

‘In recent days, many of those who had been hiding in wooded areas or staying temporarily in private homes have begun moving more freely through the streets of Ceuta,’ he told the Daily Mail.

‘The situation calls for an immediate, transparent and coordinated institutional response that guarantees both the rights and dignity of those who have arrived in Ceuta and the safety, social harmony, and rights of the residents of Ceuta themselves,’ he added.