Ceuta leader wants detention centre as Spain's migrant crisis worsens

The mayor of Ceuta called for the detention and removal of thousands of migrants living on the Spanish North African territory, following a mass influx from Morocco last month. Approximately 72,000 migrants crossed the border on July 30-31, with around 70,000 returning to Morocco, according to Spanish government data. However, the remaining migrants, including hundreds of unaccompanied children, face challenges accessing basic necessities like food, water, shelter, and sanitation due to the territory's overwhelmed resources.

Ceuta's conservative leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, argued for the establishment of a detention center to hold and confine the migrants, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He claimed that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants are currently present in Ceuta, significantly exceeding the government's estimated 2,500. Local residents protested the administration's handling of the crisis, demanding increased police and troop presence.

The Spanish government's regional relations minister, Ángel Víctor Torres, assured the population that security measures have been bolstered, with a 40 percent increase in Civil Guards, but did not discuss the possibility of expelling the migrants.