Casablanca – A court in the Spanish-occupied city of Ceuta has convicted two men detained after migrants were found staying in a garage at the Mirasol building, after both admitted to the facts, according to El Faro de Ceuta.
The case was investigated under Operation SENEN by Spain’s National Police, following complaints from residents about migrants repeatedly appearing in the communal parking areas.
One of the convicted men, a resident of Ceuta, was sentenced to nine months in prison for an offense against foreign citizens and a further six months for threats. The prison sentence has been suspended for five years, provided he does not commit another offense during that period.
The second man, who is Moroccan, has been expelled to Morocco and will not be allowed to return to Spain for five years.
The investigation was conducted by officers from the Central UCRIF and the Ceuta UCRIF. Police sought to establish whether migrants were being housed in an organized manner, who controlled their stay, and whether the garage was being used as a waiting point before clandestine journeys to mainland Spain.
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At least eight migrants were found in the garage spaces during the investigation. According to the case files, the number had reached as many as 20 people at certain points. Some told police they had been staying hidden there while waiting for an opportunity to travel to the Peninsula.
Three migrants voluntarily went with officers to police headquarters and gave statements with the help of an interpreter. One said he had paid €900 for one month of accommodation after contacting an intermediary. He also told investigators that he knew of people offering journeys to mainland Spain for around €6,000.
Two women said they had agreed to pay €30 a day to stay at the site. According to their statements, they initially gave €350 to an intermediary and later paid another €450, which was collected in Castillejos and handed to the person responsible for the accommodation.
The women said they had been placed in a communal garage and that the conditions were different from what they had initially been promised. Police later focused on the people allegedly managing the space, receiving payments and controlling access.
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Photographic identification helped investigators identify the two suspects. Two migrants separately identified the man they described as responsible for managing the garages and collecting payments, while the two women identified the alleged intermediary.
The case also included allegations of threats. The women told police they were being sought and threatened after cooperating with investigators. Officers received a distress message, located them and took them to police headquarters, where further statements were given, and assistance and protection measures were activated.
The first arrest was made on August 30, initially over alleged facilitation of irregular immigration and a violation of Spain’s immigration law.
The second arrest followed on August 31. The investigation described one suspect as managing and controlling the accommodation and collecting payments, while the other allegedly acted as an intermediary and recruiter. The convictions now close the case.
