Thousands of migrants remain in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, located on the northern coast of Africa bordering Morocco. These individuals, primarily from Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia, Algeria, and Palestine, are holding out in an encampment on a hill, determined to reach mainland Europe. Most of the approximately 60,000 people who surged into Ceuta last week have since returned to Morocco, citing hunger, fatigue, and the inability to charge mobile phones as reasons for their departure.
Yared Teka, a 27-year-old former handball player from Ethiopia, is among those who refuse to return. "I am determined to get to mainland Europe and if I fail I will die here trying," Teka stated. He had previously spent months in the Moroccan mountains attempting to cross the border. For individuals like Teka, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's policy offering residency status to undocumented migrants appeared to be a significant draw. Originally expecting 500,000 claims, the scheme registered 1.2 million applications before concluding in June.
"We turned to Spain like flowers to the sun," Teka said, describing his current situation as "suffering" due to a lack of food and money. He noted the proximity of mainland Spain, approximately 20 kilometers away, as a strong motivator, though he acknowledged Ceuta is not part of the EU's Schengen Area.
Migrants who have reached the immigration center in Ceuta are considered fortunate by those outside. The center, guarded by police, houses 600 individuals with access to food and water. However, those in the encampment report a lack of resources, with water distribution having ceased. "They give us nothing now, not even water, which they handed out up until yesterday but then stopped. I genuinely think they want us to die," one migrant said.
Locals have provided some aid, with one instance of a concerned citizen bringing bread to the encampment, though supplies were limited. Ahmed Zayda, a Palestinian man who left Gaza in 2014 and had lived in Germany for eight years under Chancellor Angela Merkel's previous open-door policy, expressed his desire to reach mainland Spain.
"Now it is the turn of Spain to be kind to us," Zayda said. "But we need to get there first. This place isn't good to us. We can't go into town without police hassling us."
Jalal Idris, a 20-year-old from Cameroon, expressed his aspiration to reach England, showing off a David Beckham jersey he wore while swimming to Ceuta.
Following the influx, Spanish authorities installed a 1,600-foot barrier along the Tarajal breakwater, a coastal area used by migrants during the crossings. The barrier includes a weighted curtain designed to prevent swimming underneath. Hotel managers in Ceuta reported a return to normalcy, with most migrants having departed, suggesting some were swept up in social media excitement without a strong intention to stay.
However, a demonstration occurred Tuesday evening when approximately 150 migrants marched through the city carrying an injured man, whom they claimed was attacked by police. The group dispersed after being confronted by baton-wielding officers, leaving the injured man behind. Paramedics later attended to him.
On the Moroccan side, authorities have also increased security. Police trucks and soldiers were observed near the border town of Fnideq, where many migrants had gathered prior to the surge into Ceuta. Discarded items of clothing and shoes were found on a nearby beach, where barbed wire now blocks access.
Even those expelled back to Morocco are regrouping, awaiting another opportunity to cross. "We are back in Morocco but we aren't giving up," one Sudanese man stated. "We will wait for another chance to get into Ceuta and hopefully Spain."