The situation in Ceuta continues to be marked by tension two weeks after the mass entry of thousands of illegal Moroccan immigrants recorded at the end of July.
Amid the strong deployment of forces at the Tarajal border, the Civil Guard confirmed that since then at least 15 reports of rape have been registered at various points in the autonomous city.
The latest incident occurred on Friday night on Lisbon Street. According to local media, three Moroccans, apparently brothers, were attempting to sexually assault a 10-year-old girl.
Illegal Moroccan immigrants
The events occur while authorities maintain an operation to prevent a new mass entry. The Tarajal border remains under the surveillance of the National Police and the Civil Guard, while Morocco has also deployed forces in the nearby mountains, beaches, and roads.
In addition to the cases of sexual violence, various disturbances have been reported in the streets, along with the presence of numerous immigrants in different neighborhoods of Ceuta. One of the areas where a significant number of them concentrate is El Trampolín beach, where a constant movement of people is observed.
1,800 minors identified
Sources from the Civil Guard confirmed that 1,800 minors have already been identified through the placement of an identification bracelet. However, the body itself pointed out difficulties in subsequently controlling their situation.
"The problem is that they are then returned to the street; they neither go to the Ceti nor are they returned to Morocco," the consulted sources stated.
During the last week, agents also counted 1,500 people who voluntarily returned to Morocco. Despite the controls implemented on minors, thousands of Moroccans still remain dispersed throughout various sectors of the city.
Pedro Sánchez
The situation has also altered the usual movement in the city during the holiday. The streets remain practically empty and the beaches present a different image than usual for August 15. The establishments that remain open, mainly supermarkets, have military custody.
One detained with terrorism background
The strong operation deployed in Ceuta includes nearly 1,500 members of the Civil Guard and the National Police, in addition to the military participating in surveillance tasks.
Police sources also questioned the conditions under which part of the work at the border is carried out. "The air conditioning is not working," they stated, while mentioning problems with identification controls and some confusion generated by the arrival of a new inspector.
According to those same sources, "he has removed the shifts at the border and maintains them in other instances."
Precisely during border controls, the Civil Guard confirmed the detention of a Moroccan immigrant who had terrorism and other crimes on his record. The man also had an arrest warrant issued by Interpol.
