Spanish Soldiers in Ceuta Laugh About Beating Moroccan Migrants
Spanish soldiers have been recorded laughing as they describe violence against Moroccan migrants in Ceuta. The conversations reveal surprise attacks and humiliation. Madrid has submitted the latest revelations to the courts.
“Without gloves, it’s more fun because it makes a noise.” Laughter erupts among several Spanish soldiers on duty in Ceuta. One describes how he hit an unsuspecting migrant; another imitates the sound of a slap. These conversations, recorded without their knowledge, were revealed on Thursday, October 15, by the Spanish newspaper elDiario.es. Their contents prompted the Defense Ministry to refer the matter to the courts again.
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The scene takes place on the night of September 21 to 22, near the Temporary Migrant Reception Center (CETI). At least three soldiers are talking near their service vehicle. Several phones capture their conversation. For about 50 minutes, the soldiers discuss their encounters with migrants who had arrived from Morocco.
One account concerns two Moroccans lured behind a military vehicle under the pretext of checking their identity documents. “He didn’t realize anything,” one soldier says. His colleague goes on to explain that he hit one of the men by surprise, punctuating his account with “And bam!” The others burst out laughing.
In the recordings published by elDiario.es, the soldiers also discuss the difference between blows delivered with or without gloves. One prefers the sound of a bare-handed slap. Another thinks gloves hurt more. A third jokes about the need to be “good people” by wearing gloves.
Violence compared to the horror film Saw
Another conversation concerns particularly humiliating practices. A soldier says he witnessed a scene involving soldiers from another unit, the Regulares. According to his account, a migrant was forced to hit other people or be beaten himself. The soldier compares the ordeal to scenes from the horror film Saw and says he wanted to stay and watch.
The conversations also reveal how some soldiers view the people they stop. One says he prefers not to listen to their stories when they are told in Darija, because they might make him feel compassion. Another claims that migrants “seem to like being hit.”
These remarks add a new dimension to the violence already documented in videos filmed in Ceuta and the allegations gathered by Amnesty International. The organization interviewed more than 65 migrants and asylum seekers in September, obtaining 22 firsthand accounts reporting beatings and humiliation. Some Moroccans said they had been forced to kiss a Christian cross. A 16-year-old Moroccan teenager also said he had been beaten and then sent back to Morocco despite having residency documents.
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Madrid’s response was swift. On Thursday, the Spanish Defense Ministry announced that it had sent the investigation published by elDiario.es to the duty court in Ceuta and the public prosecutor’s office, supplementing the file already assembled on the basis of Amnesty International’s report. The ministry cited possible criminal conduct by soldiers deployed in the enclave.
Esteban Beltrán, director of Amnesty International Spain, says the recordings describe “punitive operations” intended to humiliate migrants rather than acts of self-defense. He is calling for a thorough investigation and details about any sanctions imposed on the soldiers involved. As recently as Sunday, Defense Minister Margarita Robles had expressed pride in the soldiers stationed in Ceuta, denouncing criticism she considered unfair. Four days later, her ministry was submitting the latest revelations to the courts.
