Mothers in Ceuta Cry: 15 Rapes, Beaches Full of Feces
The Spanish enclave in Africa faces collapse after a massive migrant wave crossed from Morocco. Residents are fleeing, hospitals are overwhelmed, and authorities tout 'diversity as a strength.'
The Spanish enclave in Africa faces collapse after a massive migrant wave crossed from Morocco. Residents are fleeing, hospitals are overwhelmed, and authorities tout 'diversity as a strength.'
Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, has become the scene of a humanitarian and security crisis following a massive migrant wave from Morocco in late July 2026. The Civil Guard has confirmed at least 15 rapes since the wave began, including the case of a 10-year-old girl allegedly assaulted by three brothers on Lisbon Street. Mothers are tearfully testifying on television, and many women are leaving the city.
Ceuta University Hospital has opened an emergency crisis wing, and doctors are warning of a "health catastrophe." There has been a rise in infectious diseases such as scabies, tuberculosis, and impetigo. One female doctor, nearly in tears on television, described how all hospitals are overcrowded, medicines are running out, and staff fear attacks.
Earlier reports also mention several underage Moroccan girls and at least one boy treated in the hospital for sexual assault. Many of these minors are sleeping on the streets.
"I can't take it anymore. I want them all to leave," said one mother in a live TV broadcast, describing how her 16-year-old daughter must go everywhere with her father or her because "migrants are devouring her." She added: "I'm not a racist-my granddaughter is mixed race, my best friends are Muslims-but they can't attack us. What's left here is the worst; there are murderers, rapists, thieves."
Beaches like Trampolína are covered with makeshift shacks, garbage, clothing, feces, and urine. Residents describe how they can no longer take their children to the beach or parks. "We can't take the kids to the beach, we can't. They're occupied, full of shacks, people eating there, throwing food, lots of clothes, feces, urine," locals said.
Children's playgrounds across Ceuta are covered in human feces, and mothers are asking for a delay to the start of the school year. "I wouldn't let my daughter come to school alone," said one, while another added: "Schools should be fumigated before the children return."
While the crisis unfolds, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on vacation in La Mareta. Yoli, a Ceuta resident, told Cuatro: "What we're going through is very hard, and it's very hard to hear journalists justifying this government, justifying everything. We can't take any more; we feel humiliated, trampled. I had to take my daughters out of their home because the government is doing nothing, because Mr. Pedro Sánchez is on vacation in La Mareta. No one cares about us."
Spain's Migration Minister Elma Saiz, meanwhile, praised the "diversity" and "coexistence" in Ceuta. "I want to highlight the responsibility, civic commitment, and maturity that citizens are showing. Ceuta is a true example of coexistence. A city where different cultures, traditions, and religions coexist. And which has shown for decades that this is one of its greatest strengths," she said via RTVE Noticias.
Sources disagree on the exact number of migrants who crossed into Ceuta. ZeroHedge cites more than 70,000, Spanish reports mention between 70,000 and 80,000, while Moroccan official data speaks of 40,000. The city has about 84,000 residents, meaning the migrant influx has nearly doubled the enclave's population.
UNICEF has warned of hundreds of minors "wandering the streets alone, in unsanitary conditions, and urgently needing three meals a day and, in many cases, medical care," said Lara Contreras, director of advocacy, programs, and partnerships at UNICEF Spain.
Last weekend, hundreds of migrants attempted a second mass crossing from Castillejos, but were stopped by Spanish and Moroccan forces with tear gas and increased deployment. Thousands of those who remained from the first wave are now protesting on the beaches, seeking asylum and transfer to mainland Europe. There is also talk of a possible hunger strike.
Meanwhile, a security guard at BBVA bank was beaten by 40 migrants while trying to prevent the robbery of an elderly woman, leading to the branch's closure.
