Residents of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave situated on the coast of North Africa bordering Morocco, believe the Spanish government is not adequately addressing the ongoing challenges posed by mass migration, according to conservative Spanish journalist Javier Negre.
Negre told Fox News Digital that locals, regardless of political affiliation, are experiencing significant distress and fear. He reported incidents of migrants committing crimes, including robbery and attempted rape, and noted that the influx has strained the city's resources.
"The local citizens, they are really sad. And no matter if they are left or right, What they say is like, it's really complicated to live right now in Ceuta," Negre stated. "We need in Spain, we need in Europe, governments that try to avoid the illegal immigration right now because it's not fair for the citizens that pay taxes to have social security, to have healthcare and these illegal migrants, they collapse the hospitals, they collapsed the universities, the schools, and it's not fair for the Spanish people."
These sentiments echo concerns previously voiced by Juan Jesús Vivas, Ceuta's Mayor-President. During an appearance before the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Vivas highlighted that the large-scale migrant arrival on July 30, which saw approximately 70,000 migrants enter the enclave, endangered public safety and health and threatened to overwhelm the city's infrastructure.
"Furthermore, the morale of Ceuta's residents is severely affected. Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful, and worried — and with good reason. It is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again, and if that next time will be the definitive plunge into the abyss, causing us to cease being what we are: Spain and Europe," Vivas said.
Following social media calls in Morocco for another migrant rush on August 15, both Spain and Morocco increased security presence. Spain also implemented maritime barriers after the initial incident, which saw migrants swim ashore.
However, Negre reported that Moroccan officials conveyed to him that these enhanced measures are insufficient.
"I know that today the Spanish government and the Moroccan government, they say that they are going to put more police, but it's not enough," Negre said. "We need more police. We need to have more border security because people don't understand why they're paying taxes, why they're giving a lot of money to the state if they can't block the frontier to these illegal migrants that they are not escaping from a war or a difficult situation."
Negre also suggested that the strained relationship between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Morocco may have played a role in the incident. Sánchez traveled to Algeria on July 20, shortly before the migration event, aiming to mend diplomatic ties after a period of strained relations stemming from Morocco's claims over Western Sahara. Spain has supported Morocco's autonomy plan for the region, a move that has impacted its relationship with Algeria.
In May 2021, a similar, though smaller, influx occurred when an estimated 10,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco, with Moroccan border guards reportedly standing down. The European Parliament later passed a resolution condemning Morocco for the incident, citing Moroccan statements that it was retaliation for Spain providing medical treatment to a Western Saharan rebel leader.