The arrival of around 2,000 people from Morocco by sea in recent days has placed Ceuta in a critical situation, with emergency services and reception resources under heavy pressure, especially the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI), which is saturated and has hundreds of people waiting in its surroundings to be able to access its facilities.
The migratory pressure has also moved to the streets of Ceuta, where numerous groups of people have been seen, especially in the areas near the Tarajal border and the reception centers. This scenario has led several businesses and facilities to adopt preventive measures and temporarily close their doors, including the Parques de Ceuta Shopping Center, the Día and Carrefour supermarkets, and the Kiabi and MGI stores.
In addition, according to local media, the Royal Football Federation of Ceuta (RFFCE) has announced the closure of its sports facilities this afternoon and tomorrow by order of the Autonomous City. AD Ceuta FC has also communicated through its social media the temporary closure of the club’s official store this Thursday afternoon.
Shocking images showing thousands of migrants attempting to cross the maritime border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The crowd gathers at the fence and swims in a desperate attempt to reach European territory.
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The concern has also moved to social media, where residents of Ceuta have shared messages and videos about the situation. A TikTok user claims that “the streets of Ceuta are scary” and points out that the Zara clothing store has also allegedly closed. As reported by the media outlet Portal de Cádiz, robberies have reportedly taken place in some businesses.
Reception services are overwhelmed
The greatest pressure is concentrated at the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI), which is over capacity while hundreds of people wait to be able to access its facilities. According to Europa Press, around 800 people remain in the vicinity of the center waiting to enter, while more than 700 residents are already housed inside, even though the facility has 512 places.
According to police sources cited by Efe, the continuous entry of people through the southern border breakwater of Tarajal has complicated access to the center. Before the mass arrival, about 400 people were outside the CETI, a figure that has reportedly increased to over a thousand in the last few hours. The same sources indicate that some of the people who have entered Ceuta have not gone to the reception center, but remain in different parts of the city or have moved to the homes of relatives residing in the autonomous city.
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Child reception services have also been forced to expand their capacity. The Autonomous City’s Minors department has reopened two warehouses to attend to the arrival of new children and adolescents. According to Europa Press, during this Thursday morning these facilities were hosting about 700 minors, after more than a hundred entered the city during the early hours of the morning.
The situation has also generated a citizen reaction. Through social media, improvised calls for gatherings have been spread in response to the arrival of migrants in the city. The first is scheduled for this Thursday at 8:00 PM in front of the Government Delegation, although images of residents showing their concern and demanding a response to the situation the city is experiencing have already been shared.
