OMDH Warns 80,000 Ceuta Crossings Left Migrants Exposed as Aid Fell Short

2 articles · Updated · Yabiladi in English · Aug 18

Nearly 80,000 people crossed into Ceuta on July 30-31, and OMDH said local assistance was so limited that many migrants ended up in streets or overcrowded spaces without official shelters.
By mid-August, Spain had expanded temporary accommodation, but OMDH said support still relied heavily on civil society after one local group halted operations on Aug. 13 over a lack of food, mattresses and blankets.
Almost 300 people were staying in the Sidi Mbarek shelter, according to the NGO, which described an "extremely alarming" health situation and warned that women, children and unaccompanied minors faced rising risks of exploitation and violence.
Hundreds of foreign nationals have kept trying to reach Spain through the Mediterranean, Atlantic and southern Morocco, while tighter controls and new barriers are pushing more people onto riskier routes.
OMDH said the crisis exposes the limits of Spain and the EU's security-first migration approach, arguing that restrictive policies, weak protection access and pressure on transit countries are worsening humanitarian risks at Ceuta and Melilla.