Spain prepares new Ceuta site for migrants after July arrivals

Workers on Friday began erecting two tents in an open area adjacent to the Nuestra Senora de Africa nursery school in Ceuta's Los Rosales neighborhood, deploying National Police officers to prevent possible incidents. Spanish authorities initiated work on the temporary facility following protests by parents and employees concerned about the site's proximity to the educational center, which is scheduled to open on September 28 with capacity for approximately 176 children under age three.

Authorities have prepared additional accommodation sites in Loma Colmenar, La Hipica and the Tarajal industrial area to house migrants who have been sleeping on streets and in mountainous areas since July's arrivals. The new Los Rosales facility aims to provide shelter for hundreds of migrants who remain without accommodation in the Spanish enclave.

Minister cites identification and returns

Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres stated on Wednesday that establishing such facilities was necessary to allow authorities to identify migrants and subsequently return most of them to Morocco. The CCOO trade union has called for alternative solutions that would enable migrants to receive assistance while simultaneously addressing families' concerns and public service capacity.

The CSIF union demanded a comprehensive risk assessment and security guarantees before the nursery opens its doors later this month. Around 72,000 people irregularly crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30-31 according to official estimates, with approximately 5,000 migrants remaining in the enclave — a figure nearly equivalent to six percent of the local population of about 80,000.