For many years, Ceuta, a Spanish exclave on Morocco's northern coast, has been a major entry point for African migrants seeking to build a new life in the EU. DW's Jan-Philipp Scholz spoke with locals and some of those trying to reach the European mainland.
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00:00Every day the line in front of Ciuta's biggest soup kitchen gets longer.
00:04Mihat and her colleagues prepare several hundred free meals here.
00:08Almost all their guests are migrants from the Maghreb.
00:14You notice it everywhere. For the past few months,
00:17masses of people have been crossing the border.
00:20There has always been a lot to do here, but currently it is more than ever.
00:26Hundreds of migrants have arrived in this small Spanish exclave in recent weeks.
00:33They swim for up to eight hours from Morocco, taking advantage of the warm weather
00:38and the cover provided by the nighttime fog to make the illegal border crossing.
00:45Nabil also arrived recently. The Algerian tells us that since getting here,
00:50he spent every night outdoors. He sustained a few injuries while crossing the border,
00:55but he can't get seen at a clinic or get a place at one of the official migration centers,
01:01because they're full.
01:03I've been sleeping out here for five nights.
01:07It's full of insects and it's very cold.
01:10There are also some guys who steal your belongings.
01:14You're tired all the time, but you can't fall asleep.
01:17The situation is even worse for underage migrants.
01:21Temporary shelters have been set up in old garages,
01:24but they're housing five times as many minors as planned.
01:28Journalists are not allowed access,
01:30and Ceuta's local government is not prepared to be interviewed.
01:36The residents of Ceuta are torn between empathy for the migrants
01:40and the fear that their small town is being overwhelmed.
01:44We need migration that is regulated, but at the same time humane.
01:48And when we take people in, we have to make sure that their basic needs are met.
01:55I'm on the side of these poor guys, of course.
01:59Laws must be observed, period.
02:02If not, the whole of Africa will come to Europe in the future.
02:08But many say the laws are not working.
02:10After a few weeks, the authorities in Ceuta simply issue many migrants with a document
02:15that allows them to take the next ferry to the Spanish mainland.
02:20Nabil says that he hopes he'll also get one.
02:24I have family in France, Sweden, Switzerland, also in Germany.
02:30I know how to fix cell phones.
02:32Maybe I can get a job doing something like that.
02:35Nabil hears that the climate for irregular migrants in Europe is getting tougher,
02:39but he's still convinced that his future lies on the other side of the sea.