Thousands of Residents in Ceuta Protest Demanding Response to Migration Crisis

Thousands of residents of the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta participated in a protest demanding that authorities address the severe situation created by the massive influx of migrants. This was reported by the EFE agency.

The protest took place on the evening of August 9 in one of the city’s squares under the slogan “Enough. Ceuta will not surrender.” Organizers estimated around 10,000 participants, while the police assessed the number to be about 5,000. Ceuta's government leader, Juan Jesus Vivas, also joined the demonstration.

Among other chants, the protesters shouted slogans calling for the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. In a statement read during the rally, it was noted that “Ceuta cannot cope alone with a situation that significantly exceeds its capabilities and concerns all of Spain and Europe.”

At the end of July, tens of thousands of illegal migrants managed to reach the Spanish city by swimming and walking, bypassing the turbulent water separating Ceuta from Morocco. In light of the crisis, Madrid has decided to deploy military personnel for security operations in the city.

According to the Spanish government, approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta, of whom nearly 70,000 have already been returned to Morocco.