Almost one reported case a day. That is the stark reality facing the tiny Spanish enclave of Ceuta right now, after tens of thousands of people crossed over from Morocco at the end of July.

According to prosecutors in Ceuta, 23 cases of sexual assault – including nine involving children – have been reported since the mass crossing. Ceuta’s chief prosecutor, Silvia Rojas, told Spanish daily El País that the figure works out to almost one a day, and warned the true number could be even higher because some victims have not come forward.

Rojas said migrant girls are particularly vulnerable due to their irregular status and extremely difficult circumstances.

What happened?

On 30 and 31 July, around 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta, according to figures cited by cbinews.tv. Most have since returned to Morocco, but about 5,000 remain in the city – including an estimated 1,400 to 1,600 children, many of them unaccompanied.

It is a staggering number for a territory that is only 18.5 sq km and has a resident population of around 83,000. To put it in context, the last major influx in May 2021 – when around 8,000 people crossed in two days – was previously considered unprecedented and overwhelmed local services for months.

The pressure this time has been immense. Doctors at Ceuta University Hospital have treated several suspected victims. One emergency doctor, Susana Ascaso, confirmed that one victim was just 10 years old.

Spanish news agency Efe reports that suspects identified so far in the assault cases include four Moroccans, three Spaniards and a Belgian national.

The wider fallout

The situation on the ground remains tense, with reports of clashes between some migrants and local residents. The Spanish government has approved a multi-million-euro aid package to provide essential services and support for unaccompanied minors. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has convened the national security council twice in a week.

Sánchez is under fire from opposition parties over his handling of the crisis. Ceuta’s regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has called for demonstrations in support of the territory.

And then there is the diplomatic layer – which is never far away with Ceuta.

For background, Ceuta and its sister enclave Melilla on the North African coast have been under Spanish rule since the 16th and 17th centuries, but Morocco claims sovereignty over both. The border is heavily fortified and has long been a flashpoint in EU migration policy. Madrid and Rabat have clashed repeatedly over who controls migration flows, most notably in 2021 when Morocco was widely seen as having relaxed border controls after Spain admitted Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali for medical treatment.

This time, Sánchez has been careful not to directly accuse Morocco of orchestrating the crossing, saying there is no intelligence pointing to government involvement. Instead, he has blamed online disinformation, which he said was amplified by networks linked to Russia, Israel and the international far right – allegations both Russia and Israel have rejected. Morocco has also denied any involvement.

Spanish fact-checking organisation Maldita found that messages encouraging people to attempt the crossing had circulated on Moroccan social media in the days before the influx.

Tragically, at least 100 people are reported to have died attempting to reach Ceuta by sea, according to figures cited by city authorities.

This is a developing story and prosecutors say investigations are ongoing.

Source: CbinewsTv

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