Ceuta migrant protests draw 50,000 in Madrid

Protests over the migrant crisis in Spain's North African territory of Ceuta drew tens of thousands of people across Spain on Wednesday, one month after more than 70,000 migrants crossed from Morocco.

Officials said 50,000 people gathered in central Madrid on Ceuta Day. In Ceuta, locals draped Spanish flags over their shoulders, waved the city's black-and-white flag and chanted for migrants to be expelled.

Thousands of migrants remain stranded in Ceuta after the July 30-31 influx. Most of those who crossed returned within hours, but many of those still in the territory are sleeping on streets, beaches or in informal camps as authorities try to expand emergency accommodation.

Otman Ianaya, a 40-year-old Moroccan, told AFP he swam to Ceuta with his wife and two young daughters because there was no work in Morocco and he wanted to build a future. He said the family slept rough until volunteers recently gave them sheets and blankets, and that he queues for hours each day for Red Cross food.

The situation has divided Ceuta, a city of about 84,000 people and one of the European Union's only two land borders with Africa. Some residents say they feel abandoned and unsafe, while aid groups and volunteers have called for empathy toward people in a vulnerable situation.

AFP reported isolated episodes of violence, including fights between migrants, the stoning of a military patrol and reports of sexual assault. Protesting residents have clashed with police and, on one occasion, burned migrants' belongings on a beach.

The conservative and far-right opposition used Wednesday's rallies to criticise the leftist government's handling of the crisis. Some migrants could be returned if Spanish authorities treat their arrivals as mainly economic migration, but others are seeking international protection.

Hibbane Saifi, a 32-year-old from Comoros, told AFP he opposes the Comoran government and fears returning home. Halima Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Luna Blanca NGO, said residents were tired and scared, but that this did not justify violence against migrants.