The president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, has pointed out that, among other actions, it is planned to launch "as a matter of urgency" certain infrastructure works aimed at "strengthening the security of the Ceuta border."
Vivas made these statements at a press conference after the meeting held with the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, within the framework of the Monitoring Committee on the situation in the Autonomous City of Ceuta.
In the meeting, in which up to 10 ministers participated remotely, it was concluded that it is equally essential to "intensify the reinforcement of the State security forces" so that "another episode" like the one recorded in the autonomous city on July 30 and 31 does not happen again.
The Ceuta president has insisted on the need to reinforce the security bodies and forces to address the "perception of insecurity" among the population, which considers it "incompatible with normality." Additionally, he has demanded from the State an economic compensation for the local administration due to the increase in extraordinary expenses arising from this crisis.
Defense of the single command and reinforcement of coordination
Vivas has defended the creation of a single command, which he has defined as a "correct method," since, in his opinion, this system improves coordination, sets obligations for each department, and is configured as a "very useful and effective instrument" for Ceuta to "recover normality" as soon as possible.
In relation to unaccompanied foreign minors, he has considered it "impossible" for a city of 84,000 inhabitants to handle the current situation alone. Therefore, he has called for an "exceptional" response from the State, reminding that Ceuta does not have "resources in facilities, nor economic resources, nor sufficient human resources."
In this line, Vivas has maintained that, in the "interest of the minor," the priority must be "family reunification," since, as he has indicated, Morocco has reiterated on several occasions its explicit willingness to receive its minors back.
Likewise, he has reiterated that the central strategy must be oriented towards the "return to Morocco of those who arrived in Ceuta" en masse and who still remain in the city. He has described the information conveyed by the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs as "positive" to advance this objective, although he has called for specifying the procedures, the necessary means, and a defined timeline.
To conclude, Vivas has appealed to maintain a "resounding no to violence" in the mobilizations, in order to preserve an external image of a mature, humanitarian, and supportive society, and has stated that the Ceuta citizenry "will emerge strengthened" from this crisis.