Rabat – Migrants have returned to an informal camp in Ceuta after a fire destroyed 42 shelters where dozens of people had been living in difficult conditions.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight on Thursday in the Tarajal industrial area, where many migrants have been staying since entering Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after nearly two hours. No injuries were reported, but the fire destroyed dozens of makeshift shelters made from tents, plastic and other materials.
Several groups of migrants returned to the area in the following hours, according to Spanish newspaper El País. Authorities confirmed that the fire did not cause significant damage to the industrial buildings nearby, allowing migrants to return to the settlement.
The return shows the lack of alternatives for many migrants still living in Ceuta. Some families with children had been sleeping in the informal settlement for more than a month while waiting for places in official accommodation. El País reported that around 200 people were staying in the area before the fire, with no immediate relocation offered after the evacuation.
Conditions around the camp remain difficult, with makeshift shelters surrounded by waste and limited access to adequate accommodation. The fire also left many residents worried about their safety.
One resident, Nihad El Mazraoui, who has been living in a tent with her husband and two children since crossing into Ceuta on July 31, told El País that she was afraid another fire or attack could happen. She said she was considering returning to Morocco because she could not continue living in fear.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. Police have considered the possibility that a candle or another source of fire used inside the camp may have started the blaze, but no final cause has been established.
The fire comes amid a wider crisis in Ceuta following the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants over two days in late July. While most have since returned to Morocco, thousands remain in the Spanish enclave, many without stable accommodation.
