CEUTA, Spain – The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, announced on Monday from Ceuta that the government will deploy several extraordinary and temporary humanitarian assistance facilities in the city, enabling the immediate activation of 1,500 new places for migrants. Saiz made the announcement to the media from the Government Delegation in Ceuta after meeting with the president of the autonomous city, Juan Jesús Vivas, at the Palace of the Assembly, stating that these new facilities will be established at four different locations.
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The selected sites include the car park at the embankment area of Loma del Colmenar, the riding school facilities, the former football pitch at the Caballería barracks, and the so-called Guano space, with the latter two being properties of the Spanish government. Work has already begun at the first location, with the preparation and assembly of tents on the Loma Colmenar embankment esplanade, and authorities expect that once this initial operation is underway, work will accelerate at the remaining sites so they can be progressively equipped to accommodate the largest possible number of people throughout this week and the next.
The activation of these facilities aims to alleviate the saturation of existing resources, particularly the Temporary Stay Centre for Immigrants and the spaces occupied by migrants at various points across the city, as part of the extraordinary response the central government has activated in the face of the current migration pressure. Saiz emphasized that collaboration between institutions is fundamental to restoring normality in Ceuta as soon as possible, stating that this will be the guiding compass for her stay in the coming days.
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The minister also expressed regret that the Popular Party is adopting Vox’s discourse on migration matters and stressed that the Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has not stopped working for a single second in support of Ceuta, with meetings and visits to the city continuing throughout the crisis. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the autonomous city following the mass arrival of migrants in late July, which has strained local resources and prompted calls for urgent action from both national and regional authorities. The government’s response represents a significant expansion of reception capacity as it seeks to manage the ongoing situation while maintaining humanitarian standards for those arriving on Spanish soil.
