Ceuta to 'hold migrants in warehouses' as they await deportation - after several accused of sexual assault
Up to 8,000 of the more than 70,000 illegal migrants breached the Spanish enclave’s borders month reportedly remain in the territory.
Moroccan migrants who stormed into Ceuta are to be rounded up and held in warehouses ahead of their deportation - after it emerged that some have been accused of sexual assault.
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Up to 8,000 of the more than 70,000 illegal migrants breached the Spanish enclave’s borders month reportedly remain in the territory.
One warehouse in Tarajal, yards from the Moroccan border, and another in the Ceuta could be used as temporary accommodation as they await deportation and processing, according to Spain’s interior ministry.
Officials are reportedly seeking to return migrants within 72 hours of locating them before transporting them to the warehouses for identification and processing.
But around 862 migrant minors are thought to be protected from deportation and are having their status processed by authorities.
At least 72 migrants died during the crossing, some having drowned and others were crushed in a stampede.
Read more: Migrant dies trying to paraglide from Morocco to Ceuta - as fears grow of another surge
Read more: Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants still in Ceuta after surge across border from Morocco
Hundreds of the Moroccans left in Ceuta had set up camp on the beach, and reportedly faced hostility from Spanish locals, and many shops have closed, denying the migrants a chance to buy food.
Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has accused the Spanish security forces of assaulting some of the migrants who entered Ceuta on 30 and 31 July.
A preliminary report published on 8 August includes testimonies from migrants who had already been sent back to Morocco and reported being assaulted by Spanish officers, "especially in places beyond the reach of cameras", they claimed. It also alleges that minors suffered insults and beatings by "extremist groups" as they travelled through the territory.
The CNDH slammed authorities in Ceuta for allegedly failing to provide sufficient care especially for children and young people.
It also comes amid probes into three separate cases of sexual assault following the mass arrival of Moroccan migrants earlier this month.
The High Court of Justice of Andalusia said that two of the assault suspects are in custody and face charges of crimes against sexual freedom.
The third one suspect is set to be deported to Morocco.Spain has extended its border fence to protect Ceuta and also has sent ships to the area to deter swimmers.
The EU is set to discuss strengthening external borders, while travellers from Spain and Italy into the bloc could face random document checks over the next few weeks.
Spain’s Audiencia Nacional, the nation’s top court, is now investigating what caused the crisis.