Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, is on the verge of disaster as thousands of migrants remain on its streets and beaches one month after a mass influx, with officials reporting daily violence and sexual assaults. Between 3,500 and 7,000 individuals are estimated to still be in the city, many forming makeshift shanty towns.
Public safety experts cited by El Mundo suggest a significant risk of escalation into riots, with concerns that remaining migrants, having depleted their funds, may resort to further disruptive actions. Ceuta's chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, has noted an "exponential increase" in crimes, including sexual assaults, with a particular worry for minors. The Ministry of Equality confirmed 21 sexual assaults in the past month, five involving penetration and nine against minors.
The enclave has also seen a rise in thefts, with two Moroccan nationals arrested for stealing from a neighbor. Local residents report a significant worsening of the situation, citing increased tension between the local population and the migrants, leading to confrontations, vandalism, and incidents requiring law enforcement intervention.
Attacks against military patrols have become increasingly frequent, with four documented cases in the past week. These incidents include patrols being ambushed with stones and projectiles, and military vehicles being targeted with bottles of corrosive liquid. Three migrants were arrested for an attack involving corrosive liquid on Sunday, following earlier arrests of twelve individuals for an ambush on Thursday.
Tensions have spilled over into confrontations between residents and migrants, with locals last week storming and setting fire to a makeshift migrant camp. Video footage showed crowds destroying the camp on the beach, throwing migrants' belongings into the water and unfurling Spanish flags. Police intervened to create a barrier between protesters and migrants but were criticized for their limited action during the event.
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has called for calm, stating that "violence is not the answer." He also accused right-wing and far-right political parties of inciting hatred with demands for the immediate roundup and deportation of migrants.
Juan Vivas, the head of Ceuta's local government, acknowledged the justification for peaceful protests against the migrant influx but condemned any acts of vandalism, emphasizing that "no one can or should take the law into their own hands." Local resident Salvador Ortega expressed concern that a lack of returns is encouraging migrants to remain in the city, leading to increased visibility and movement through its streets. He called for an immediate, transparent, and coordinated institutional response to ensure the rights and dignity of migrants and the safety and social harmony of Ceuta's residents.