A group of migrants today threw stones at Moroccan police in Castillejos, Morocco, which sent an important contingent to an area about a kilometer from the border with the Spanish city of Ceuta.
The Moroccan police contingent has increased during the day to stem the migration wave of the past two days, which has allowed more than 8,000 people to enter the Spanish enclave, despite the fact that around 5,600 have been returned to Morocco.
In this Moroccan area, according to the Spanish news agency EFE, more than a thousand Moroccans, including a significant number of minors, seized riot police officers, periodically throwing stones and boots at the Moroccan police, who limited themselves to monitoring the situation. without interfering.
Thus, the migration pressure on the border between Ceuta and Morocco has significantly decreased, and today, after the closure of access to the Moroccan city of Castillejos, few people arrive to sail or in small boats. Immigrants who might enter Tarajal Beach are immediately returned by agents guarding the border.
Moroccan police and security forces formed a living barrier that blocked the main road connecting Tarajal with several police cars behind them.
Moroccan security forces have also sent a large contingent to the hill adjacent to Ceuta, to the beach where the border zone is located, and even to the areas closest to the area.
Hours earlier, the EFE said it had been monitoring the last groups of Moroccan migrants who were able to temporarily enter Ceuta to make their way back to Castillejos.
As for the sub-Saharan migrants who were there, they were arrested by the authorities and later transported by bus, “probably bound for cities in southern Morocco,” according to EFE.
Spanish Government and Autonomous Communities welcome minors from Ceuta
A proposal made by the Minister of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda Ione Belarra at an extraordinary meeting of the Territorial Council for Social Services held today aims to respond to the migration crisis in Ceuta, where in just two days some 8,000 illegal immigrants entered illegally, 1,500 of whom are minors, and 5,600 were deported to Morocco.
The Autonomous Communities agreed to the proposal, agreeing to accept about 200 minors “whose legal, school and medical situation is being reviewed and regulated” by Ceuta, who already has the opportunity to relocate them with the support of the Directorate General for Human Rights. The rights of children and adolescents, the Madrid government said in a statement.
“These transfers can be made immediately so that children who have just arrived can receive adequate care,” and can remain in emergency centers, Belarra said, adding that authorities will try “to ensure their treatment in emergency centers. … the “defense” of Ceuta.
According to the minister, all administrations should collectively make “this common and joint commitment by quickly agreeing to the global criteria for the distribution” of these 200 children.
Ione Belarra stressed that “the decision cannot be fair” in Ceuta.
“The country as a whole must face a problem, always prioritizing the interests of minors,” the minister explained, noting that the migration crisis in Ceuta is forcing the authorities to “take another urgent step” to ensure the “Solidarity and Collective Response” of the autonomous communities.
Regarding the return of unaccompanied minors to Morocco, the minister said it was “necessary” to strengthen consular services to “clarify and simplify” the reunification procedures for minors who have expressed a desire to return with their families.
“It is important to understand that we are dealing with children much younger than usual. Many of them were unaware of the consequences of crossing the border. And we find that many want to return to their homes, ”Belarra said, confirming that he is working with other ministries to formulate all mechanisms that will allow these children to return to their families“ in a safe and secure environment. “.
Canary Islands Social Rights Adviser Noemi Santana called for a “shared responsible and supportive distribution of minors” arriving in Spain (there are 2,700 in the archipelago) and a law that “balances” the population and resources of each community.
The Community of Madrid, for its part, has asked the government to clarify the number of children in Ceuta that it intends to donate to each community and to indicate the funds that will be allocated to cover the costs of this operation.