The situation in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta remains critical. At 5:30 a.m., hundreds of illegal migrants staged a mass protest on the city's popular El Trampoline beach.
They raised Spanish flags and held placards demanding immediate asylum in the European Union, Reuters reported.
Tensions on the Beach: “We Are Humans Too”
The protesters expressed their strong opposition to Madrid's plans for mass deportations. "I would rather die than go back to Morocco," 39-year-old Moroccan Mohamed Wanzar told reporters, according to an official Reuters report (reuters.com). Protesters chanted "We are tired" and "We are looking for a solution" as Spanish police blocked their access to the city center.
Ceuta currently has between 5,000 and 8,000 migrants. They are part of a huge wave of more than 72,000 people who stormed the border by sea and land two weeks ago. A large part of them have already returned voluntarily, but the rest live in makeshift camps on the rocky coast in extremely difficult conditions.
Health crisis and risk of epidemics
Local authorities are warning of a serious overload of the social and health infrastructure. According to Enrique Roviralta, head of the medical council in Ceuta, outbreaks of infectious diarrhea and scabies are already being observed in the camps, and cases of injuries from domestic violence are increasing.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia reassured the media that the risk of a serious epidemic for the 80,000 local residents remains low, but acknowledged that medical services are working under enormous pressure.
Madrid's firm stance
The Spanish government has no intention of giving in to pressure from the streets. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced that those who entered illegally would not be granted legal status. They would not be allowed to travel to mainland Spain, except in proven cases of extreme vulnerability.
At the same time, Morocco has tightened border controls. According to data from rtve.es) and BTA, over the past 24 hours, Moroccan security forces have thwarted new attempts at group crossings, provoked by fake news on social networks.