Amnesty International accuses Spanish forces of abuses against migrants in Ceuta

Amnesty International has accused Spanish military personnel of subjecting migrants and asylum-seekers in Ceuta to violence, humiliation and other ill-treatment, including acts that could amount to torture, as thousands remain without adequate shelter or humanitarian assistance following a mass arrival from Morocco.

In a report released Wednesday, the rights group said it interviewed more than 65 migrants and asylum-seekers during a field visit to Ceuta from Sept. 10 to 15. The interviews included 31 unaccompanied minors between the ages of 13 and 17 and 26 women, two of them pregnant.

Amnesty said 22 people gave direct testimony alleging beatings, harassment, humiliation and the confiscation or destruction of mobile phones by military personnel.

The organization said some testimonies, photographs, videos and medical records pointed to injuries it said were consistent with the use of batons and other physical force. It documented allegations including beatings while migrants were restrained, threats and insults, sleep deprivation and forced expulsions.

Amnesty said some of the reported conduct could constitute torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under international law.

The report also raised concerns about the treatment of women and children. Amnesty said hundreds of unaccompanied minors and women remained living on the streets, with limited access to food, water, sanitation and medical care.

It cited Ceuta authorities as identifying 2,383 unaccompanied migrant minors, with between 500 and 700 still living without emergency accommodation, while around 800 women, some with children, were reportedly sleeping outdoors.

Amnesty also documented allegations of sexual violence and said Spain’s judicial authorities had opened 37 investigations involving migrant women and girls, with 28 still open at the time of its report. The group said 39 alleged victims were identified, including 14 minors.

The rights organization further accused Spanish authorities and military personnel of racial profiling and harassment, saying migrants and people perceived to be of North African origin were sometimes stopped or restricted from moving through parts of the city based on their appearance or clothing. Amnesty said it also witnessed military personnel questioning racialized people and ordering them to leave public areas.

The report comes two months after more than 80,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco in a mass migration episode that Amnesty described as an exceptional humanitarian challenge. The organization acknowledged the difficulties faced by Spanish security forces but said authorities remained bound by national and international human rights obligations.

Amnesty called on the Spanish and Ceuta governments to establish an urgent plan for adequate humanitarian assistance and dignified accommodation, with specialized protection for women and children. It also urged Spain’s autonomous communities to facilitate the relocation of unaccompanied minors from Ceuta.

The report adds to longstanding international scrutiny of Spain’s handling of migration at its North African enclaves. Amnesty has previously documented alleged excessive use of force, unlawful expulsions and barriers to asylum access involving both Spanish and Moroccan authorities in the Ceuta-Melilla border region.