Violence Erupts in Ceuta Amidst Ongoing Migrant Crisis
Guy Hedgecoe, Madrid
(Getty Images) Clashes have broken out in Ceuta, with protesters setting fire to migrant belongings on the beach.
A month after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish exclave of Ceuta located in North Africa, tensions between locals and foreign arrivals are escalating. The Spanish government faces criticism from opposition parties for its handling of the crisis.
Ceuta residents express feelings of unease and concerns over the strain on public services. At least 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30th and 31st, with at least 100 reported deaths during this mass crossing according to the mayor of Ceuta. While most returned to Morocco within hours, several thousand remain in Ceuta, many of them children, living rough on beaches or streets.
While earlier anti-migrant demonstrations remained largely peaceful, recent days have seen increasing violence. On Thursday, locals prevented Red Cross volunteers from providing food and water to migrants, followed by the burning of migrant camps on Trampolín beach and clashes with police. These events occurred after the arrest of 12 migrants accused of attacking a military vehicle.
Journalists and film crews also face threats.
"This is a city which has been under pressure... which has the right to normality," said Ceuta's mayor, Juan Jesús Vivas, on Antena 3 television. "The dignity of Spain is at stake in Ceuta right now."
The socialist-led government of Pedro Sánchez has blamed the People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox for stoking tensions. Vox's José María Figaredo is facing a possible hate crime investigation for remarks suggesting migrants be "hunted down, one by one". Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska condemned such rhetoric as contributing to "stigmatization of immigrants" and "social division."