The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, assured this Friday in Ceuta that, before the next November 1, the migrants who are taking refuge in the mountains of the city after the massive entry from Morocco at the end of July will have been evicted. His intention is for the population to be able to celebrate the Day of the Backpack in the natural spaces of Ceuta, as local tradition dictates.
In an appearance before the media in the autonomous city, Marlaska declared the phase of eviction of the settlements erected by migrants on various beaches of Ceuta after the massive arrival at the end of July to be over. From now on, he explained, the priority is focused on those who are still outside official resources, moving through the mountains and neighborhoods of the locality.
"We committed that before October 11, the beaches of Benítez, Trampolín, and El Guano would be evacuated; I would like to say now that we also maintain the commitment that, before November 1, all Ceutans can enjoy as every year their mountains and be able to enjoy with family and friends a day as special, and we will address it in that sense," he pointed out, referring to the celebration of the Day of the Backpack.
The Interior official has advanced this new commitment without detailing how the device will be structured for migrants to leave the forest areas, where it is estimated that several hundred continue to be hidden, nor what specific actions will be implemented to adhere to the announced schedule.
The Day of the Backpack is one of the most characteristic popular festivities of Ceuta and is celebrated every November 1, coinciding with All Saints' Day. On this day, families and groups of friends go to the mountains and natural places of the city to spend the day outdoors and share food, nuts, and other typical products of the date.
Improvised shelters after the massive entry
The presence of migrants in these green areas dates back to the massive entry recorded at the end of July, when hundreds of people scattered across different points of Ceuta to evade police intervention. Since then, a part of them has remained in forest areas, where they have built improvised shelters.
Numerous migrants were going to the Trampolín beach to collect the meals distributed by the Red Cross, a device that exceeded 3,500 servings. After the eviction of this settlement on the coast, the authorities relocated about 1,700 people, while others chose to leave the place and head towards the mountains and the peripheral neighborhoods.
According to what Europa Press has been able to learn, the Security Forces and Corps have used drones to fly over the green areas of the city in order to locate those who still remain there. However, no official data has been made public regarding the number of migrants still in these spaces or specific details of the operation planned to proceed with their eviction.
The announcement by Marlaska comes after the Government set October 15 as the deadline to evict the beaches of Benítez, the Trampolín, and the Guano. The minister has used the fulfillment of that objective as an example to assert that the mountains will be available for the traditional celebration of the Day of the Backpack.