Protesters Clash with Police, Set Fire to Ceuta Migrant Camp
The unrest comes one month after a mass influx of migrants from Morocco to the Spanish exclave in North Africa.
Protesters in Ceuta clashed with police and set fire to a migrant camp on Thursday. This follows a mass influx of migrants from Morocco to the Spanish enclave one month prior. Footage showed demonstrators on a beach throwing objects into a fire, while police pushed them back as migrants sought refuge on a pier. Earlier, about 70 people attacked a military vehicle with stones and other objects, according to a police spokesman in Ceuta.
Local protesters attempted to prevent Red Cross vehicles from delivering food to the migrants on the beach, with some waving Spanish flags and shouting for their removal. The number of migrants remaining in Ceuta is disputed, with Spain's government estimating below 7,000 and Ceuta officials citing at least 10,000. The crisis is putting pressure on Madrid's government, with the conservative opposition accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of abandoning Ceuta's residents.
Madrid is working to identify the migrants and determine who will be sent back to Morocco, while also allocating extra funds for unaccompanied minors. The issue has sparked tension within the EU and deepened political divisions in Spain ahead of upcoming elections.
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