Thousands Remain Stranded in Ceuta Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis and Abuse Allegations

For more than a month, 21-year-old Anis Fadi, a university graduate and qualified accountant, has been sleeping in a makeshift shelter in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the North African coast. He crossed the border from Morocco at the end of July alongside approximately 70,000 others, and now queues for hours daily at a Red Cross centre on Trampolin Beach.

“I don’t even have a tent,” Anis Fadi told Al Jazeera. “We make shelter with old pieces of wood, sticks from broken branches, and whatever else we find here.” As temperatures prepare to drop, these makeshift structures offer minimal protection against the wind. While the Spanish government estimates between 6,000 and 10,000 crossers remain stranded, local officials in Ceuta place the figure closer to 13,000.

Approximately 5,000 individuals, predominantly women and children, have received temporary accommodation from authorities, while the remainder sleep outdoors. Fadi noted that police officers with batons frequently shout orders at the waiting crowds in the heat. Nevertheless, he maintains no regrets about leaving Morocco, stating that life there offered no future.

More than 100 people died during the crossing. Fadi described swimming for hours to reach Ceuta in pursuit of employment and a better life in Europe, emphasizing that men like him simply want to work and are not criminals. Right-wing European politicians have characterized the event as a threatening invasion, sparking protests across Spain regarding the government's crisis management. Ceuta, normally home to 84,000 residents, saw its population nearly double, straining local resources despite most arrivals having already returned.

Humanitarian organizations face immense pressure providing necessities. Nolte Bauer of Mission Lifeline International highlighted that migrants feel unsafe outside official camps due to inadequate hygiene, limited medical aid, and the constant threat of nighttime violence, noting frequent reports of beatings. Members of the Spanish NGO Medicos del Mundo (Doctors of the World) have been actively treating injured migrants in an industrial area of Ceuta.

Several interviewed individuals claimed they suffered abuse from men wearing military or police uniforms, sustaining head cuts and bodily bruises. Citing fear of deportation, some avoided hospitals and turned to aid groups instead. Conversely, Spanish authorities firmly denied all allegations of abuse and discrimination, maintaining that police act with absolute respect for human rights. The government stated it is actively expanding accommodation, providing food and medical care, and processing cases with the ultimate aim of returning individuals lacking legal status to Morocco, while local leaders continue to demand additional support from Madrid and Europe.