By Oluwakemi Kindness
The leader of Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta has called for the detention and expulsion of thousands of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants following last month’s mass crossing from Morocco.
Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesus Vivas said an internment centre should be established to house migrants while their expulsion proceedings are processed.
Vivas, a member of Spain’s conservative Popular Party, said the measure was needed urgently to prevent migrants from remaining on the streets and to speed up deportation procedures.
The call follows a mass border crossing at the end of July, when thousands of asylum seekers and migrants swam or used inflatable rafts to reach Ceuta from Morocco.
Spanish authorities on Monday revised their estimate of the number of irregular migrants who crossed to about 80,000.
The Spanish government says around 70,000 migrants and asylum seekers returned to Morocco within two days.
However, thousands remain in Ceuta, including hundreds of unaccompanied children who cannot be summarily deported under Spanish law.
The migrants are reportedly struggling to access food, water, shelter and sanitation, placing additional pressure on the territory’s resources.
The situation has also triggered a political dispute between Spain’s left-wing central government and regions governed by the Popular Party and far-right Vox.
Vivas estimates that between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain in Ceuta and has described the situation as “unsustainable”.
He disputes the central government’s estimate that about 2,500 asylum seekers and undocumented migrants are still in the territory.
Meanwhile, police said about 5,000 Ceuta residents protested on Sunday over the handling of the migration crisis, which they said had left the territory unsafe.
