Key facts
- Spanish police fired shots into the air to clear thousands of migrants from an encampment in Ceuta.
- Estimates of remaining migrants in Ceuta range from 5,000 to 10,000.
- Violence has erupted between migrants, locals, and authorities, including assaults on soldiers and police.
- Authorities are investigating multiple alleged sexual assaults targeting migrant women and girls.
- A €309 million stimulus package has been announced to address the crisis in Ceuta.
Spanish police fired shots into the air on Monday morning to clear thousands of young men from an encampment in a parking lot adjacent to Ceuta's city hospital, a chaotic scene that underscored the ongoing migrant crisis in the North African exclave. The intervention served as a stark reminder of the discrepancy between early government assurances that the situation was largely resolved and the reality on the ground.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged that approximately 5,000 migrants remained in the Spanish territory, a figure contested by Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesús Vivas, who estimates the number to be around 10,000. The police union and officers on the ground supported the higher estimate. Among those remaining are an estimated 1,200 unaccompanied minors who are expected to be transferred to shelters on the Iberian Peninsula in the coming weeks.
Sánchez has pledged to resolve the crisis with "dignity" and in accordance with the law, which involves allowing migrants to file asylum claims, potentially delaying deportations. The unresolved situation has fueled ongoing violence between locals, Spanish authorities, and the remaining migrants. Last week, Spanish soldiers were injured when a group of migrants pelted them with stones, and police arrested three migrants accused of throwing Molotov cocktails.
In a separate incident, local demonstrators stormed an improvised migrant encampment on El Trampolín beach, setting fire to belongings. Migrants Laarvi and his son Omar, from Morocco, expressed their desire for a better life in Europe but face deportation if they entered for economic reasons, as confirmed by Sánchez.
The prolonged presence of thousands of migrants has generated significant frustration among Ceuta's residents. Local restaurant owner Jalid Ali Amar noted that elderly residents could no longer frequent the beach and expressed a lack of respect for migrants who he believes show no respect for locals, leading to fear and a deteriorating security situation. A spokesperson for the CEP police union claimed an eightfold increase in crime, though the interior ministry has not confirmed these statistics, awaiting official data. However, Attorney General Teresa Peramato did confirm an increase in criminal assaults and property crimes.
Ceuta's Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating 22 alleged sexual assaults targeting migrant women and girls, and one case involving a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Helena Maleno, a spokesperson for migrant rights NGO Caminando Fronteras, suggested the true number of sexual assaults could be higher due to reporting barriers for migrant women.
Aid groups are caught in the middle, with one activist reporting death threats and vandalism. Protesters have also attempted to impede aid distribution. The activist questioned the lack of solidarity from Europe, stating there is ample space available.
The crisis poses a significant political challenge for Sánchez, with ministers being summoned to parliamentary hearings and even traditionally supportive lawmakers expressing frustration over perceived negligence and inaction. In response, the government unveiled a €309 million stimulus package aimed at reinforcing security, public services, supporting local businesses, and providing humanitarian aid to migrants, with the objective of restoring tranquility and confidence in Ceuta.