Ceuta migrants report violence, hunger as crisis deepens
Key Takeaways
- Migrants in Ceuta report violence, theft and growing safety concerns.
- Some migrants say they face hunger, exposure and inadequate shelter.
- Spanish authorities are expanding temporary accommodation and humanitarian support.
Migrants living in makeshift camps say they face attacks, food shortages and unsafe conditions as they wait for Spanish authorities to decide their fate.
Migrants living in makeshift camps in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta say they are facing violence, hunger and growing uncertainty as they wait for authorities to decide their fate.
Medical workers treated injured migrants and handed out medical supplies in the Samu Naves area on Wednesday, while several people gathered around an ambulance seeking help.
One young migrant claimed people have come from nearby areas to beat migrants and steal their food and belongings.
"They've treated us with such contempt. We sleep on the street, and there are people who take our food. Look, they're beating us, assaulting us, and trying to take our belongings by force," the migrant said.
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"We're helpless because we're strangers here, so we're forced to stay silent, and this is more than we can bear," he stressed.
Another migrant described the situation as "horrific", claiming women and children in the area face severe dangers, including drugs, armed attacks and sexual exploitation.
"Women are being stripped naked and forced into prostitution in public," he alleged. "We're living in terror here. We're just sitting around when some people attack us with guns and strange weapons and scare the children here."
A third migrant said people were struggling with exposure and hunger, claiming the food being provided was not enough.
"We're suffering here from the cold at night and the scorching heat in the morning. Winter is coming, but we have no blankets or anything else. The cold here will kill us," he said.
"The second problem is hunger, my brother, because the authorities here give us food only once a day, which isn't enough for us, and we go hungry all day long," the migrant added.
Reports of violence against migrants have emerged elsewhere in Ceuta. El Pais documented neighbourhood patrols in early August, including groups carrying weapons and coordinating efforts to drive migrants from residential areas.
Spanish authorities have not publicly addressed the specific allegations of violence against migrants in Ceuta. The government has reinforced security in the enclave and announced additional accommodation and humanitarian support for migrants.
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Spanish authorities are reportedly investigating allegations of sexual violence against migrant women and girls in Ceuta. At least four migrant girls were reported to have received hospital treatment following alleged sexual assaults.
Meanwhile, UNICEF has warned that hundreds of migrant children remain in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, with some sleeping on the streets for weeks and urgently needing food and medical care.
Spain's Ministry of Inclusion said on Monday that four temporary sites were being prepared in Ceuta, adding 1,500 places. The ministry added that the Red Cross has been distributing around 4,000 food kits a day since August 3.
The measures follow the influx from Morocco on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta by land and sea. Thousands are still believed to remain in the enclave, although estimates from Spanish and local authorities have varied.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
