Spain Announces 1,500 New Shelter Places for Migrants in Ceuta

Eighteen days after hundreds of migrants were left sleeping on the streets of Ceuta, the Spanish government and the city’s regional administration have reached an agreement. On Tuesday, Migration Minister Elma Saiz announced the creation of 1,500 new humanitarian shelter places across four new sites. Three of these will be managed by the central government, and one by the regional authority. “These are temporary, extraordinary humanitarian places,” Saiz said during a visit to the North African enclave. “I firmly believe that collaboration between administrations is essential to return Ceuta to normalcy.” She made the remarks after meeting with Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of Ceuta. The announcement ends weeks of disagreement between the two administrations over where to place the shelters. That delay has fueled a growing political crisis. On Monday, Vivas warned that if the situation does not improve within 30 days, he will escalate the matter to other state institutions. These could include the courts, the Spanish Parliament, or the Constitutional Court. “This is simply to inform the highest state bodies of the situation in Ceuta,” Vivas said. He added that he plans to request meetings with the heads of Spain’s Supreme Court and Constitutional Court. “I want to say: Ceuta is in danger.” Vivas also criticized the central government for failing to provide information on migrant return procedures or economic recovery plans. He accused the government of inaction, suggesting three possible reasons: “Either it is incompetence, irresponsibility, or a refusal to upset our neighbor,” he said, in an apparent reference to Morocco. The new shelter places will house migrants who have been camping on beaches, hillsides, and sidewalks since July 30, with no access to basic resources.