The leader of Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta has called for the urgent detention and eventual expulsion of thousands of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants following a major influx from Morocco.
Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesús Vivas, a member of the conservative Popular Party, said authorities should establish a dedicated detention facility for foreigners while their cases are processed.
“We need a facility where these people can be held and remain confined,” Vivas said, arguing that the measure would help authorities accelerate deportation proceedings and reduce the number of migrants living on the streets.
The crisis began after a large number of migrants and asylum seekers crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in late July, with some swimming across the border and others using inflatable boats.
Spanish authorities have estimated that about 80,000 people attempted to enter the territory. The government says approximately 70,000 migrants returned to Morocco within two days, while thousands remain in Ceuta.
Among those still there are hundreds of unaccompanied children who cannot simply be deported under Spanish law. Aid organisations and local authorities have reported growing pressure on supplies of food, water, accommodation and sanitation.
Vivas estimates that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, describing the situation as “unsustainable.” The Spanish central government, however, puts the remaining number at around 2,500 asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.
The migration crisis has intensified political tensions between Spain’s left-wing central government and regions controlled by the conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox, particularly over the treatment and relocation of unaccompanied migrant children.
Thousands of Ceuta residents also took to the streets on Sunday to protest the government’s handling of the crisis, with police estimating that about 5,000 people participated.
Spanish government minister Ángel Víctor Torres said additional police officers and troops had been deployed to reinforce security in the territory, including a 40 percent increase in Civil Guard personnel.
The situation has renewed debate over migration, border security and the European Union’s external borders.
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