Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Friday, August 28, stated that “violence is not the solution” in Ceuta. This statement came after a series of incidents that occurred the day before in the Spanish enclave, which a month ago faced a massive and illegal influx of migrants.
Speaking in Congress in Madrid, Fernando Grande-Marlaska called for calm and an end to all forms of violence, emphasizing that “violence is not a solution to such a complex problem” faced by this small Spanish territory in northern Africa with an area of 18.5 km².
President of the local government of Ceuta Juan Vivas (People’s Party, right-wing) also made a statement on Friday: “No one can or should take the law into their own hands.” He strongly condemned “the use of any form of violence”, while recognizing “the demonstrations as legal and fully justified”, which demand “a return to normal life” for the enclave.
Clashes on the beach and arrests
Tens of thousands of migrants broke into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31. Although most of them have already left, a significant number — estimated by the left-centrist government to be around 5,000, and according to Ceuta authorities, 10,000 — remain in the enclave, which is home to approximately 80,000 people. They wander the streets and sleep in makeshift camps or on beaches.
Demonstrations by Ceuta residents demanding the departure of migrants and condemning security issues have escalated and in recent days have turned violent. On Thursday, clashes occurred on the beach where migrants were camping, during which their personal belongings were burned.
That same day, a soldier was injured when about 70 migrants threw stones at a military vehicle. Twelve Moroccan migrants involved in the attack were arrested. Another two Moroccan migrants were arrested on Thursday after an attack on an officer of the Civil Guard, as reported to AFP on Friday by a source close to the investigation. The night from Thursday to Friday passed without incidents.
Accusations against right-wing parties
Addressing the deputies, Fernando Grande-Marlaska criticized the far-right and right-wing parties, accusing them of spreading false information, “seeking to gain political advantage from the situation or, worse, inciting hatred and confrontation among people on the streets of Ceuta.”
The right-wing and far-right demand the expulsion of all migrants still in Ceuta, but the left-wing government has warned that it must identify each one individually to determine if they are eligible for asylum or can be deported, a process that is lengthy.
The Interior Minister acknowledged that the massive influx of migrants into Ceuta a month ago was “one of the greatest recent challenges” for Spain in the field of migration, and added that the situation remains “extraordinary.”
Source: BFMTV
