Ceuta is located on the so-called
Western Mediterranean Route. It is one of two Spanish cities located on the African continent, along with Melilla, on the Strait of Gibraltar. A significant portion of the population is of Moroccan origin, and although it has been a Spanish citizen for generations, it retains the language, traditions and religion of its roots.
In the past, one of the reasons that made this route attractive was the possibility of reaching EU territory without crossing the sea, Ceuta being politically Spain but geographically located in North Africa. In 2018, this route was the most traveled for irregular entry into the EU, with nearly 60,000 crossings.
In recent years, as a result of agreements between Spain, the European Union, Frontex, Morocco and other African countries, access to Ceuta and Melilla has become extremely difficult. The borders are heavily controlled, The double separation wall (about 12 km, extending partly to the sea) has been reinforced: in 2020 the upper barbed wire was removed and replaced with other deterrent systems, bringing the barriers up to 10 meters high. A guard road between the two fences allows continuous patrols by security forces. Climbing over these barriers remains almost impossible, and most entry attempts are blocked immediately by border authorities.
Overtaking him is almost impossible. Those attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla come from both Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa, particularly neighboring Morocco. In general, Moroccans mostly choose the sea route, often trying to reach Ceuta by swimming, covering short but extremely dangerous stretches. People coming more from the south, on the other hand, more frequently attempt to cross the border wall.
Many migrants remain stranded for years in the border area: some settle temporarily in Morocco working informally, others fall back on the Canary route, while some continue to try entry from Ceuta or Melilla until they succeed.
Those who manage to arrive in Ceuta, if from Sub-Saharan African countries, often end up in the Centro Temporal de Inmigrantes (CETI), a first reception center with capacity for about 500 people, before being transferred to the peninsula. People of Moroccan descent who wish to apply for asylum, however, cannot access the CETI until the first interview, which can only be obtained through an online reservation that, in practice, is often controlled by groups that illegally resell them for high fees. For this reason, many remain in Ceuta months or years, living on the streets or in precarious conditions while they collect the money they need to be able to start the procedure.
The Scalabrinian missionaries, who are in charge of the migration ministry of the Diocese of Cadiz and Ceuta, run the Centro San Antonio house (pictured), where outreach activities (in collaboration with the Cardijn association) and recreational and educational activities are held for people living in CETI (by theElìn Association).
What ASCS does in Ceuta
Since January 2024 we have started a permanent presence in Ceuta in the San Antonio Center (pictured) to offer support to migrant people without a housing solution. There is currently a shower service for those living on the streets, which is essential for the prevention of skin diseases such as scabies.
The San Antonio center also serves as a foster home: in collaboration with the Scalabrinian missionaries and the Red of the Migration Secretariat of Cadiz and Ceuta, we have activated a shelter, aimed particularly at young adult migrants in a vulnerable situation, many of whom are ex-protected, often without documents or waiting to complete them. The transition to the age of majority exposes them to great fragility: many have no family or institutional network, and possess limited educational skills, factors that make job placement difficult and the path to autonomy risky.
In this context, the San Antonio Center aims to be much more than a service: a place to find safety, dignity, stability and a sense of home, where each person is accompanied with human attention, listening and closeness.
Activities are operationally managed by two/three ASCS volunteers/operators, in coordination with Migration Pastoral and local associations.
As part of outreach, we also co-organize volunteer camps in the Ceuta and Tetuan area, with the next ones planned for summer 2025, in collaboration with the Cardijn association and Tierra de Todos.
