Diary from Ceuta: Reception Amid Tensions and an Emergency<\/h1><\/div>\nDiary from Ceuta: Reception Amid Tensions and an Emergency<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\u201cI was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink\u201d<\/i> (Mt 25:35). I never would have imagined that these words would cost me so much today, when suddenly giving a glass of water or a piece of bread has become difficult and even makes one feel powerless. <\/span><\/p>\nCeuta is a small Spanish city located in North Africa, on the border with Morocco and overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.<\/span> In recent days, the city has been facing a particularly dire situation. Thousands of people, including many minors, have arrived in a state of extreme vulnerability. The streets, parks, and public spaces have filled with faces marked by exhaustion, uncertainty, and hunger. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ceuta.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe at Casa San Antonio\u2014a small shelter for migrants supported by the network of the Secretariat for Migration of the Diocese of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta\u2014have also tried to lend a hand. In the early hours, we provided assistance to several injured people, distributed water, bread, and basic necessities, and offered information to those who arrived completely disoriented.<\/span> However, our facility is small, and the scale of the emergency has far exceeded our capacity to respond.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ascs.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ceuta-5.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI have a vivid image in my mind of some children who, as they walked by, peeked through our gate. They weren\u2019t asking for much: a little water, a piece of bread. With a gesture that expressed their deepest need without words, they brought their palms to their mouths, cupping them as if to blow a kiss. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not that simple to help them. Sometimes we gave them something cautiously; other times we had to reluctantly tell them we were sorry, that we couldn\u2019t. We acted with extreme caution: the army is just a few meters away, and distributing food or water risks being seen as a disturbance of public order. How can one harden one\u2019s heart in the face of all this? It\u2019s impossible. <\/p>\n
Added to this is the high level of tension in the streets. Some people have taken to the streets to protest, sometimes armed with sticks, and clashes have broken out, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Meanwhile, migrants wander aimlessly, with nowhere to stay; stores remain closed; and law enforcement officers constantly move them from place to place to wear them down and redirect them toward the border. <\/p>\n
There are complex underlying issues involving political dynamics and agreements between governments. What is clear, however, is that it is always the poorest who pay the price, used as pawns in a game they did not choose. <\/p>\n
And it hurts to hear the way people talk about these individuals. Some politicians speak of an \u201cinvasion,\u201d as if they were coming to attack; but I see only children, women, young people, and families. Lumping them all together, equating them with criminals, and instilling fear isn\u2019t informing\u2014it\u2019s sowing hatred. And that\u2019s not what the Gospel teaches us. It\u2019s heartbreaking even to hear children, from the balconies of the city\u2019s buildings, shouting at the soldiers: \u201cSoldier! Soldier! They\u2019re hiding in the church, in the garden! Three have escaped\u2014go back to your own country!\u201d It\u2019s truly heartbreaking to see how migrants have to hide and beg for help while the army and police chase them. <\/p>\n
Diary from Ceuta: Reception Amid Tensions and an Emergency<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\u201cI was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink\u201d<\/i> (Mt 25:35). I never would have imagined that these words would cost me so much today, when suddenly giving a glass of water or a piece of bread has become difficult and even makes one feel powerless. <\/span><\/p>\nCeuta is a small Spanish city located in North Africa, on the border with Morocco and overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.<\/span> In recent days, the city has been facing a particularly dire situation. Thousands of people, including many minors, have arrived in a state of extreme vulnerability. The streets, parks, and public spaces have filled with faces marked by exhaustion, uncertainty, and hunger. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWe at Casa San Antonio\u2014a small shelter for migrants supported by the network of the Secretariat for Migration of the Diocese of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta\u2014have also tried to lend a hand. In the early hours, we provided assistance to several injured people, distributed water, bread, and basic necessities, and offered information to those who arrived completely disoriented.<\/span> However, our facility is small, and the scale of the emergency has far exceeded our capacity to respond.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nI have a vivid image in my mind of some children who, as they walked by, peeked through our gate. They weren\u2019t asking for much: a little water, a piece of bread. With a gesture that expressed their deepest need without words, they brought their palms to their mouths, cupping them as if to blow a kiss. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not that simple to help them. Sometimes we gave them something cautiously; other times we had to reluctantly tell them we were sorry, that we couldn\u2019t. We acted with extreme caution: the army is just a few meters away, and distributing food or water risks being seen as a disturbance of public order. How can one harden one\u2019s heart in the face of all this? It\u2019s impossible. <\/p>\n
Added to this is the high level of tension in the streets. Some people have taken to the streets to protest, sometimes armed with sticks, and clashes have broken out, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Meanwhile, migrants wander aimlessly, with nowhere to stay; stores remain closed; and law enforcement officers constantly move them from place to place to wear them down and redirect them toward the border. <\/p>\n
There are complex underlying issues involving political dynamics and agreements between governments. What is clear, however, is that it is always the poorest who pay the price, used as pawns in a game they did not choose. <\/p>\n
And it hurts to hear the way people talk about these individuals. Some politicians speak of an \u201cinvasion,\u201d as if they were coming to attack; but I see only children, women, young people, and families. Lumping them all together, equating them with criminals, and instilling fear isn\u2019t informing\u2014it\u2019s sowing hatred. And that\u2019s not what the Gospel teaches us. It\u2019s heartbreaking even to hear children, from the balconies of the city\u2019s buildings, shouting at the soldiers: \u201cSoldier! Soldier! They\u2019re hiding in the church, in the garden! Three have escaped\u2014go back to your own country!\u201d It\u2019s truly heartbreaking to see how migrants have to hide and beg for help while the army and police chase them. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink\u201d<\/i> (Mt 25:35). I never would have imagined that these words would cost me so much today, when suddenly giving a glass of water or a piece of bread has become difficult and even makes one feel powerless. <\/span><\/p>\n Ceuta is a small Spanish city located in North Africa, on the border with Morocco and overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.<\/span> In recent days, the city has been facing a particularly dire situation. Thousands of people, including many minors, have arrived in a state of extreme vulnerability. The streets, parks, and public spaces have filled with faces marked by exhaustion, uncertainty, and hunger. <\/p>\n We at Casa San Antonio\u2014a small shelter for migrants supported by the network of the Secretariat for Migration of the Diocese of C\u00e1diz and Ceuta\u2014have also tried to lend a hand. In the early hours, we provided assistance to several injured people, distributed water, bread, and basic necessities, and offered information to those who arrived completely disoriented.<\/span> However, our facility is small, and the scale of the emergency has far exceeded our capacity to respond.<\/p>\n I have a vivid image in my mind of some children who, as they walked by, peeked through our gate. They weren\u2019t asking for much: a little water, a piece of bread. With a gesture that expressed their deepest need without words, they brought their palms to their mouths, cupping them as if to blow a kiss. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not that simple to help them. Sometimes we gave them something cautiously; other times we had to reluctantly tell them we were sorry, that we couldn\u2019t. We acted with extreme caution: the army is just a few meters away, and distributing food or water risks being seen as a disturbance of public order. How can one harden one\u2019s heart in the face of all this? It\u2019s impossible. <\/p>\n Added to this is the high level of tension in the streets. Some people have taken to the streets to protest, sometimes armed with sticks, and clashes have broken out, resulting in injuries and fatalities. Meanwhile, migrants wander aimlessly, with nowhere to stay; stores remain closed; and law enforcement officers constantly move them from place to place to wear them down and redirect them toward the border. <\/p>\n There are complex underlying issues involving political dynamics and agreements between governments. What is clear, however, is that it is always the poorest who pay the price, used as pawns in a game they did not choose. <\/p>\n And it hurts to hear the way people talk about these individuals. Some politicians speak of an \u201cinvasion,\u201d as if they were coming to attack; but I see only children, women, young people, and families. Lumping them all together, equating them with criminals, and instilling fear isn\u2019t informing\u2014it\u2019s sowing hatred. And that\u2019s not what the Gospel teaches us. It\u2019s heartbreaking even to hear children, from the balconies of the city\u2019s buildings, shouting at the soldiers: \u201cSoldier! Soldier! They\u2019re hiding in the church, in the garden! Three have escaped\u2014go back to your own country!\u201d It\u2019s truly heartbreaking to see how migrants have to hide and beg for help while the army and police chase them. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n