DR reports from the Spanish exclave of Ceuta that hundreds of migrants from war-torn countries remain stranded without shelter or food, more than two weeks after a mass border crossing from Morocco.
Danish broadcaster DR is reporting from Ceuta, where migrants have slept in industrial areas, on beaches and in the streets since late July. They crossed from Morocco after repeated social media posts claimed the border to Spain was open. DR spoke with several who said they want to work and stay in Europe.
According to DR journalist Selin Türker, who is in Ceuta, several of the migrants say they have been on the move for four to six years. They told her they would rather die than be returned to their countries of origin. Local residents and migrants alike told DR that not enough is being done to resolve the situation.
Ramses Mohammed Asoumik, a social worker with the local organization Elin, told DR that neither Spanish nor Ceuta authorities provided housing, water or food for two weeks. He said the Red Cross has since arrived with limited food supplies. Migrants also described sudden arrests when they tried to buy food, and police pressure to sign return papers.
Conflicting figures on arrivals and returns
Estimates of the late-July influx vary. Euronews reported tens of thousands of crossings within 24 hours on July 31, with at least 18 deaths. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska later said 72,000 people entered Ceuta and that about 70,000 had returned to Morocco within days, as reported by Euronews on August 4.
A briefing published on August 13 by the UK House of Commons Library notes that early Spanish estimates of 50,000 to 60,000 arrivals were later revised upward. The same briefing says estimates of how many migrants remain in Ceuta range from 2,500 to as high as 11,000. Death tolls cited by different sources also differ widely.
Those still in Ceuta are largely from countries such as Chad, Sudan and Nigeria rather than Morocco. As DR notes, returning them would conflict with the principle of non-refoulement, which bars sending people to places where they risk serious rights violations. Neither Spain nor Morocco is willing to house them, leaving them in legal limbo.
Why the date of August 15 matters
DR reports that thousands of social media users have again been urged to gather at Ceuta, with messages such as “Road to Ceuta” and calls to meet on August 15. CBS News reported on August 7 that the Spanish Interior Ministry is monitoring the online posts and will act according to the assessed threat level.
Spain’s Defence Ministry has cancelled all leave for military personnel stationed in Ceuta and ordered soldiers back to their posts by August 13, according to Sur in English. The measure was confirmed to The Telegraph, which reported that Guardia Civil leave has also been restricted.
Türker told DR that residents feel both sympathy for the migrants and unsafe, and that shops in Ceuta remain closed.
