Rabat – Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas has called on Spain’s central government to take full control of the response to the migration crisis in the Spanish-occupied enclave, saying “between 8,000 and 11,000 people” who crossed on July 30 may still be there.
According to El Confidencial, Vivas made the remarks on Monday after meeting Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy Angel Victor Torres. He described the situation as “unsustainable and unacceptable” and said the crisis was no longer only a migration issue.
The figure given by Vivas is considerably higher than the estimate provided by Spain’s central government, which puts the number of foreigners still in Ceuta at around 2,000.
Vivas said thousands of people were still moving through the streets without shelter or a place to receive basic assistance. He asked Madrid to establish a temporary space functioning as a Foreigners’ Internment Center, where those who crossed into Ceuta and remain there could be held while their expulsion cases are processed.
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The Ceuta leader also asked for more staff and resources for immigration authorities, the courts, the National Police and other institutions involved in processing the cases. He also called for more healthcare workers, saying the population of Ceuta has increased by around 10% since July 30.
Spanish authorities have also been dealing with a large number of minors who entered Ceuta. Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego said on Friday that 1,342 children and teenagers had already been registered. Torres raised that figure to around 1,400 on Monday, while acknowledging that some minors on the streets had not yet gone through the identification process.
The Spanish government has allocated €25 million to reinforce that process.
Torres also said authorities were considering the use of Ceuta’s military hospital, although he did not clarify whether it would be used for adults or unaccompanied minors.
Vivas also commended a demonstration attended by around 15,000 people in Ceuta. According to Vivas, the protest had the backing of the city’s four religious communities: Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu.
