Hundreds of Moroccan Migrants Remain in Ceuta as Repatriation Efforts Stall

The city of Ceuta continues to house more than 700 unaccompanied foreign minors (MENAS) and 788 adult migrants housed in converted warehouses. The care (housing and assistance) of each migrant costs the Ceuta government 1,000 euros per month, resulting in an estimated monthly expenditure of 1.5 million euros, reports OKDIARIO.

The government delegate in Ceuta, Salvadora Mateos, during a press conference held on Monday, welcomed the "fluidity" of communication between Rabat and Madrid since the arrival of José Manuel Albares at the head of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replacing Arancha Gonzales Laya. "Bilateral relations with Morocco were a bit tense, but now they are very good and you will see it in the coming days," she assured.

To read: Hundreds of Moroccan Migrants Rush Ceuta Asylum Office, Causing Chaos

The delegate also warned that "only 4% of migrants will see their asylum applications succeed at the end of the procedure which will be accelerated from September, and the rest will be expelled with an order prohibiting them from entering Spain and the rest of the EU for five or ten years." Since the end of the migration crisis, 3,474 migrants have voluntarily returned to Morocco and only 124 have been repatriated. Among them, 1,230 have filed an asylum application, of which 260 have already been accepted.

Mateos also hopes that "it will not be necessary" to activate in September the emergency plan that the Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Education has prepared to ensure the education of Moroccan minors on Spanish territory. "I think they will all be expelled," she argued, despite the opposition of UNICEF, Save The Children or the Child Protection Service of the autonomous city.

To read: Spain Extends Closure of Ceuta and Melilla Borders with Morocco Until August 31

The government delegate also spoke about the situation of the borders with Morocco, closed since March 2020 for health reasons. "The Tarajal border is still closed because the two countries agree every month on this point, taking into account the epidemiological situation," she explained, also wishing for the full integration of the autonomous city into the Schengen area and the obligation for any traveler, including those from Tetouan, to obtain a visa before accessing Ceuta.