Hundreds of migrants who recently entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta have staged a protest on a popular urban beach, urging Spanish authorities to grant them asylum instead of returning them to Morocco.
These migrants were part of an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 who remain in Ceuta following a mass border crossing two weeks prior, which saw over 72,000 people surge into the territory. The majority have since returned to Morocco voluntarily. With the city's resources overstretched, many of the remaining migrants have been living in precarious conditions on El Trampolin beach or on the city's outskirts, awaiting passage to continental Europe.
"We're sleeping next to the sea, with cold and bad smells. We're suffering a lot," said Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, adding that police were preventing migrants from reaching the city center. Protesters held Spanish flags and banners reading "We don't want to go back to Morocco" and "We are also human," chanting slogans like "We're tired" and "We need a solution."
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has stated that migrants who entered irregularly would not be permitted to remain in the enclave, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, with exceptions made only for cases of extreme vulnerability. The head of Ceuta's medical board, Enrique Roviralta, expressed concerns about the strain on limited healthcare workers and criticized the central government's response. Roviralta reported outbreaks of infectious diarrhea and scabies, along with an increase in violence-related injuries.
Health Minister Monica Garcia acknowledged that local health services were under pressure but rejected claims of collapse. She stated that associating migration with illness was unjust and xenophobic, noting a moderate risk of epidemic outbreaks for migrants and a low risk for residents.
Many Moroccan migrants cited poor working conditions and low salaries in their home country as reasons for their journey. Mohammed Ouanzar, an automation specialist from Fez, explained that average monthly salaries of approximately $324 made it impossible to afford a home or start a family. Others, like Emmanuel, an electrician from Nigeria, fled conflict and the inability for his children to attend school. Hicham Chikir, 25, expressed a desire to work in Europe, stating that individuals causing trouble could be sent back by police.
Separately, hundreds of migrants attempted to storm Ceuta over the weekend in what was described as a second planned invasion, but they were intercepted by riot police. Morocco's Le360 media reported at least 300 arrests, with individuals from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. Police used tear gas to disperse groups gathered near the border. In the weeks preceding this attempt, social media messages had circulated, calling for a new mass crossing on August 15, a public holiday in Spain. Rabat indicated it would prosecute organizers and participants of such calls.
Ceuta and Melilla are the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Social media had previously been implicated in the organization of the first large-scale border crossing attempt.