CEUTA, Spain – The minister in charge of the unified command for managing the migration crisis in Ceuta, Ángel Víctor Torres, has confirmed on Monday that 200 migrants have been expelled after being arrested in the autonomous city as alleged perpetrators of various crimes. Meanwhile, the State Attorney General’s Office has reported 23 sexual assaults in Ceuta over the past month, although only eight perpetrators have been identified: four Moroccans, three Spaniards, and one Belgian citizen.
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According to information provided by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, five of the reported assaults have been classified as rape, and nine of the victims are minors between the ages of 14 and 17. The government on Monday approved a second reinforcement for the Court of First Instance of Ceuta, with a new judge to be assigned to handle cases related to violence against women, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Torres guaranteed during an interview that Spanish authorities are “absolutely intransigent” regarding the commission of crimes in Ceuta, where according to the government, 5,000 of the up to 80,000 migrants who arrived from Morocco in late July remain. The figure provided by Torres doubles the number reported on August 28 by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who limited expulsions to 100 for alleged crimes, with ministry sources indicating three of them had prior records for jihadist-related offences.
Also on Monday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported the commission of 23 alleged sexual assaults in the autonomous city, which has been mired in a migration crisis for a month. On Thursday, when 16 sexual assaults had been registered, the state attorney general, Teresa Peramato, emphasised the special vulnerability of migrant minors in the autonomous city, adding that there has also been an increase in crimes against property, as well as attacks on and resistance to authority figures.
The Government Delegation against Gender Violence in the autonomous city activated a contingency plan on August 4 to reinforce the care of women in protection and implement attention and protection for women and migrant girls who have arrived in Ceuta since July 30. The government has also collaborated with NGOs working on the ground to inform about the 016 service, which is available in 53 languages.
The Ministry of Equality has coordinated with the Ceuta government to provide all protection instruments, including the 24-hour Crisis Centre with 14 places to accommodate victims of sexual violence around the clock. Equality Minister Ana Redondo explained on Monday in Congress that, in dialogue with the Ceuta government, it was agreed to extend victims’ stays beyond the usual 72 hours. The General Council of the Judiciary has also processed a commission of service to reinforce the Ceuta Court of First Instance and provide support to the position with competence in matters of violence against women.
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The deadline for applications closed on Friday at 23:59, and the government approved the reinforcement on Monday. The situation highlights the deepening crisis in Ceuta, where authorities are struggling to manage both the migrant influx and the rising tide of crime and sexual violence that has accompanied it. Residents continue to demand stronger action as the city faces an uncertain future.
