The Plan for Ceuta
Madrid is reportedly preparing to house up to 10,000 illegal migrants in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. This move comes despite claims by officials that the crisis has already been managed. Breitbart reported that the Socialist government under Pedro Sánchez aims to expand accommodation capacity within the next month.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated last month that only about 5,000 illegal aliens remained in the city. However, new reports suggest the true number is much higher. ABC, Spain’s paper of record, noted that the government plans to add beds for asylum seekers soon.
The new plan includes space for 1,000 migrants in a shelter near the port. This facility joins 2,000 beds already dedicated to unaccompanied minors. Many of these minors were left behind by families during the July invasion of over 70,000 migrants from Morocco.
Residents Push Back
Locals formed a human chain to protest the new shelter location. They fear the site near the west pier endangers port workers and nearby families. El Faro de Ceuta reported that the transfer of migrants to this site appears imminent.
Protesters chanted slogans like “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended” and “Ceuta, united, will never be defeated.Miguel Ángel Oncina, a single protester, stated to journalists, “We have reached our limit and continue to grow increasingly frustrated with the situation in Ceuta.
He warned that the shelter violates port laws and sits dangerously close to fuel deposits. It is also within 50 meters of a school and a transport ship.
Crisis Deepens
The local doctors’ union, Cemsatse, has called for a strike starting September 24. They say the healthcare system is swamped by migrants demanding care for various diseases. This action contradicts claims by Health Minister Mónica García that the system is not collapsing.
García previously called it “xenophobic” to suggest migrants brought disease. Yet the Ministry of Migration expects at least 6,000 migrants to remain in Ceuta by next year. Most claim asylum, which entitles them to free housing and food under EU rules.
One resident explained the fear on the streets, saying, “We can’t walk the streets why?” It is simple, since you could encounter a thief or possibly a rapist. He stated that in a nation claiming to be democratic, the mistreatment of our elders, our women, our children, and our grandchildren must not be permitted.
