Ceuta: Moroccan migrants stranded on El Trampolin beach

By Rédaction Africanews

In a makeshift camp set up Ceuta’s El Trampolín beach, hundreds of migrants, mostly of Moroccan origin, are living in tents. They are reluctant to the official reception centres, following Madrid’s announcement of its intention to deport the migrants who arrived in July via the border with Morocco.

Some in the camp, which is housing many young people, say they feel stuck and unsure of what’s next.

Among them is Nebil Tazi, a 32-years-old migrant from Tangier, who says, “only Moroccans live here; we’re suffering and we want to get to Europe or find a solution right now. Here, we’re all sleeping on the beach and having a really hard time. We’re taking a lot of risks because there are many diseases. And he (pointing to someone) needs a doctor, but he can’t find one; we’ve been waiting for a month, waiting for a solution here, but there isn’t one.”

21 year old Hamza Mohammed is also among the many Moroccans in the camp; he says he is hopeful to join his family in Spain and have a better quality of life.

“I have family in Spain and in Morocco, we need jobs, we need money, we need to help my family and here in Spain we can do it – in Morocco no; in Morocco we can’t do it,” Mohammed says.

Tensions in Ceuta are running high weeks after the mass arrival of some 80,000 migrants.

Local residents are demonstrating against what they argue is the Spanish government’s lack of policy.