Fifty days into the migrant crisis in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, up to 10,000 people remain stranded, nearly half of them without shelter, grouped on the beach under armed police and made to wait for food. Migrant Otman Taussi says police grab and beat those who try to stand up while queuing.
Five-year-old Ali made a Spanish flag in the camp for the country he hopes to call home. Instead, his family says he was shot with a pellet gun by anti-immigration protesters trying to force migrants back to Morocco.
The humanitarian crisis has become a political one, with pressure mounting on Madrid to find a solution and on the European Union to strengthen its external borders. There are rumours of another surge at the border, with a march planned from the Moroccan side to “liberate Ceuta,” prompting police and military reinforcements. Ceuta residents have also set up their own protest camp outside the mayor’s residence. One resident, Alejandra Ocaña, says everyone should return to their countries, though she acknowledges migrants who arrive properly deserve to be welcomed.
Al Jazeera’s Peter Smith reports from Ceuta.
Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/
Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile
#Ceuta #Spain #Morocco #Migration #EuropeanUnion #AlJazeeraEnglish
