Worsening Sanitary Conditions Trigger Health Crisis
Roughly three weeks have passed since a large wave of migrants surged into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Lacking basic shelter, many have been forced to sleep outdoors on beaches, hillsides, and in ravines. These crowded and squalid conditions have directly caused a sharp rise in the local incidence of infectious diseases.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s main opposition, the People’s Party (PP), confirmed after meeting with heads of Ceuta’s medical and nursing associations that the city has recorded multiple cases of tuberculosis and chickenpox, and over 450 cases of gastroenteritis. Alarmingly, a scabies outbreak has even spread to local military personnel. Feijóo publicly urged Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to confront the public health risk by imposing emergency quarantine on infected migrants. He also sharply criticized Health Minister Mónica García for being on vacation during a national territorial crisis, only visiting the site 17 days after the influx began.
PP Exerts Pressure: Advocates for Full Repatriation and Border Control
Disagreements between the Spanish central government and the opposition have intensified over the placement of unaccompanied minor migrants. Feijóo voiced his clear opposition to transferring 500 minors to mainland Spain, stressing that Spain should follow the European Union’s position and expedite the return of all minors to Morocco, placing them under the care of their families or Moroccan child protection services.
To tackle processing backlogs, Feijóo demanded the Ministry of the Interior deploy more immigration officers to Ceuta to work in three round-the-clock shifts, speeding up repatriation procedures on an ‘emergency’ footing. Responding to the central government’s concern that repatriating minors could be an ‘illegal expulsion,’ he countered that both Spanish and EU laws provide legal frameworks for repatriation that the government should urgently enforce. He also blamed ineffective governance on political infighting within the ruling coalition, adding that PP-led autonomous communities would not succumb to the central government’s ‘political trap’ of mandatory migrant reception.
Frequent Violent Incidents Escalate Public Safety Concerns
In addition to public health risks, Ceuta is facing a severe public safety crisis, with a significant drop in residents’ sense of security. According to a Ceuta police report, at approximately 4:30 AM on a recent Sunday, an off-duty Civil Guard officer was surrounded and violently assaulted by at least five people on Cañonero Dato Avenue. The National Police responded swiftly, arresting three suspects for attempted violent robbery and severely resisting arrest. Preliminary investigations indicate that all three suspects are migrants who illegally entered Ceuta on July 30.
Such violent incidents corroborate Feijóo’s concerns about the local security situation. He noted that due to the worsening security, some women in Ceuta no longer feel safe walking alone after 8:00 PM, and the approaching school year presents unknown safety risks for local children. Feijóo lambasted Prime Minister Sánchez for his overly relaxed approach to a major border crisis, stating it has not only fueled domestic social unrest but also severely damaged Spain’s reputation among its allies in diplomatic, internal, and defense matters.
