The Minister of Territorial Policy and sole command in the management of the crisis in Ceuta, Ángel Víctor Torres, has warned that if the violence in the autonomous city "continues or grows," there will be a "total breakdown" and the resolution of the crisis will be delayed, according to an interview granted to 'elDiario.es'.
"We want coexistence to return. In 2021, normality was achieved in Ceuta and it will be achieved again now, but it will not be possible if we continue to fan the flames of violence," Torres emphasized, insisting that the Executive intends to "shorten the deadlines as much as possible."
The minister detailed that if the new resources to accommodate the migrants who continue in public spaces are ready "in a couple of weeks," the scenario could be channeled "in a few months." He specified that the registration of 2,000 people has already been carried out and that more than a hundred have been returned.
Torres also estimated that about 5,000 people are currently on the streets of Ceuta, using the data from this week's food distributions as a reference, although he admitted that the exact figure cannot be determined because they are dispersed in different points of the municipality.
The head of Territorial Policy has argued that it is urgent to transfer these people to facilities set up to carry out health checks, process immigration files, and verify ages. "The sooner the migrants are in closed spaces, the sooner they can be returned," he stressed.
At the same time, he made it clear that it is not feasible to expel all the people who entered Ceuta "in 24 hours or in a week" and described as a "lie" and "false" the promise of immediate returns. He indicated that most migrants will be returned for not meeting the requirements to stay, although some minors will not be able to be regrouped and must be taken in once the established procedure is completed.
Torres has highlighted the cooperation of Morocco in managing the crisis and emphasized that the return of more than 70,000 people after their entry into Ceuta would not have occurred without the involvement of the Moroccan authorities.
In relation to the violent episodes of the last few days, the minister has pointed out that it is being investigated whether there are "organized groups" that have moved to Ceuta to "generate conflict." He has expressly condemned the assaults during the food distribution and has highlighted the work of the Ceuta volunteers who are collaborating with humanitarian organizations.