Hundreds of migrants who recently entered Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, staged a protest on a public beach demanding that Spanish authorities grant them political asylum rather than return them to Morocco.
The demonstrators carried flags and signs as they gathered along the shoreline, calling for a resolution to their plight. During the protest, participants described to Reuters the harsh conditions they are enduring. Migrant Ayoub al-Aroud said, "We are sleeping by the sea, with cold and bad smells. We are suffering a lot." Another migrant, Mohamed Awanzar, stated that "the moment I arrived on Spanish soil, I felt like I was born again," adding that "I would rather die than go back."
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska made clear, however, that migrants who entered illegally will not be permitted to remain in the enclave, transfer to mainland Spain, or receive legal status, except in exceptional cases.
Meanwhile, the head of Ceuta's medical association, Enrique Reviralta, has warned of severe strain on the healthcare system and a rise in infectious diseases. Health Minister Monica Garcia responded that "linking immigration to disease is unfair and xenophobic."
The protests come as between 5,000 and 8,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, out of tens of thousands who entered during a mass border breach that occurred several weeks ago. Most of those who crossed have already returned home, but those who stayed are waiting in coastal areas and on the city's outskirts. The influx has temporarily increased Ceuta's population—normally around 80,000—by as much as ten percent.
