Protesters in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta burned makeshift shelters used by migrants and attempted to block humanitarian aid from reaching them Thursday evening, marking a violent escalation of tensions nearly a month after a mass border crossing from Morocco.
Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags broke through a police line to enter a migrant encampment on Benitez beach, destroying makeshift tents and belongings, throwing them into the sea and setting some on fire. Migrants fled as police formed a cordon between the groups.
Protesters also formed a human blockade to prevent Red Cross vehicles carrying food and water from reaching migrants gathered at Trampolin beach.
The aid vehicles initially had to abandon their attempt to enter the area at the request of police because the road was blocked, according to public broadcaster RTVE. El Pais later reported that police cleared a route and the daily food distribution eventually began under heavy security.
Thursday's violence followed several days of increasingly tense protests by residents demanding a return to normality after more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31.
Although the vast majority of migrants returned to Morocco, between 5,000 and 8,000 remain in the enclave, according to an El Pais estimate. Ceuta has a population of around 80,000.
The government has identified around 1,500 minors, 700 of whom are girls and "many" of whom are under 13, Youth Minister Sira Rego said.
On Wednesday night, thousands joined another demonstration, with around 400 people heading toward Trampolin beach, where police blocked them from reaching migrants. Some protesters threw migrants' mattresses, blankets and other belongings into the sea, while police fired rubber bullets as a deterrent, according to RTVE.
After those disturbances, a group of migrants threw stones at a vehicle, injuring four soldiers. Twelve people were arrested.
Thursday's violence erupted hours after Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres, who is overseeing the government's response to the crisis, appealed for "non-violence" in Ceuta and warned against attacking people because they are migrants.
Torres told the parliament that authorities added 400 places to Ceuta's temporary migrant reception center, bringing its capacity to 1,183. Two additional sites have also been prepared to accommodate 1,827 adults overnight, he said.
The government earlier announced temporary facilities with capacity for another 1,500 people. Despite the additional accommodation, many migrants have continued sleeping in makeshift settlements on beaches and elsewhere in the city while awaiting decisions on asylum, return or other legal procedures.
The government says returning migrants who are not entitled to remain is a priority, but Torres said authorities cannot expel everyone immediately, as each person's identity and circumstances must be assessed, including whether they are entitled to seek asylum.
