Hundreds of migrants who recently arrived in Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, gathered for a demonstration on a popular urban beach on Sunday, urging Spanish authorities to provide them with asylum instead of repatriating them to Morocco. These individuals are part of the 5,000 to 8,000 migrants who remain in Ceuta following the mass border crossing two weeks ago, where over 72,000 people entered the small territory with a population of about 80,000. The majority of the migrants returned voluntarily in the days that followed.
Facing overstretched resources in the city, most migrants are living in precarious conditions on El Trampolin beach or in the outskirts of the city, awaiting an opportunity to travel to mainland Europe. Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, expressed the challenges they are facing, including sleeping by the sea in harsh conditions and being restricted from entering the city center by the police.
During the protest, migrants displayed Spanish flags and banners with messages such as “We don’t want to go back to Morocco” and “We are also human,” while voicing their concerns with chants like “We’re tired” and “We need a solution.” Some migrants were seen washing clothes and fishing with makeshift bamboo rods on the rocky shores behind the demonstration.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated earlier that migrants who entered irregularly would not be permitted to remain 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 health services, citing increasing cases of diseases and injuries among the migrant population. Health Minister Monica Garcia acknowledged the pressure on local health services but rejected claims of a collapse, emphasizing the need to avoid associating migration with illness.
Many Moroccan migrants interviewed cited poor working conditions in their country as the driving force behind their migration, despite holding higher qualifications. A notable example is Mohammed Ouanzar, an automation specialist, who found the meager average monthly salaries in Morocco insufficient to support a family or own a home. Other migrants, like Emmanuel from Nigeria, embarked on perilous journeys to seek a better life for their families, willing to take any job offered in Europe.
The stories of migrants like Mohammad Ismail Hossain from Bangladesh and Ousmane from Senegal reflect the diverse struggles and reasons for seeking asylum in Ceuta. These individuals represent a larger group of migrants facing uncertainty and challenges while waiting for their asylum requests to be processed.