Hundreds of migrants who recently arrived in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta gathered for a demonstration on a popular urban beach on Sunday, calling on Spanish authorities to provide them with asylum instead of deporting them to Morocco. These individuals were part of the 5,000 to 8,000 migrants who remained in Ceuta following a mass border crossing two weeks ago, which saw over 72,000 people enter the small territory with a population of about 80,000. While the majority of migrants returned voluntarily in the days that followed, those who stayed faced challenging living conditions on El Trampolin beach and in the city’s outskirts as they awaited opportunities to travel to mainland Europe.
Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, expressed the hardships faced by migrants, including sleeping by the sea in cold and unsanitary conditions, with police restricting their movement to the city center. During the protest, demonstrators waved Spanish flags and displayed banners with messages such as “We don’t want to go back to Morocco” and “We are also human,” while voicing their exhaustion and the urgent need for a resolution.
Meanwhile, on the rocky shores nearby, some migrants were seen washing clothes and fishing using makeshift bamboo rods. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced earlier in the week that irregularly entered migrants would not be permitted to stay in Ceuta, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status unless in rare cases of extreme vulnerability. The strain on health services in Ceuta was highlighted by Enrique Roviralta, head of the city’s medical board, who noted the exhaustion of limited healthcare workers and the emergence of diseases and injuries among the migrant population.
Health Minister Monica Garcia disputed claims of collapsed health services but acknowledged the pressure they were under, emphasizing the unfairness of associating migration with illness. Many Moroccan migrants cited poor working conditions and low wages as reasons for seeking opportunities in Europe, with one individual expressing a preference for risking death over returning to their home country. The migrants’ stories included individuals like Emmanuel from Nigeria, who undertook a perilous journey to provide a better future for his children, and Mohammad Ismail Hossain from Bangladesh, who faced harrowing challenges during his journey through multiple countries.
The migrants in Ceuta continue to wait for resolution, with individuals like Ousmane from Senegal seeking asylum due to persecution over his sexual orientation, underscoring the emotional toll of uncertainty and the challenges faced by those hoping for a better life.