Migrant youth hide in Ceuta
CEUTA. Hungry, thirsty and worn out.
About a hundred young people are hiding in the slopes around Ceuta's migrant center.
— We haven't eaten for five days, says Adam, 21.
A lone flip-flop is swept up with soda cans, tin cans and palm leaves.
These are the remains of the migrant train of up to 50,000 people that arrived in Ceuta on Thursday.
— The whole area here was full of people, says Mohamed.
Almost all of the migrant train left the Spanish exclave on Friday, according to reports as many as 48,000.
But small heads are sticking up under red blankets far down the slope.
— They are hiding so the police won't chase them out, says Mohamed.
Most of them haven't eaten or drunk in three days or more. Photo: Stefan Jerrevång.
A small group of young guys walk past with Red Cross plastic bags. Neatly folded textiles fill the bags to the brim.
The police officers standing guard up the hill start shouting at them.
One of the guys tries to run away, he exchanges a few words in Arabic with Mohamed, then the policeman grabs him.
- This is terrible for everyone, us who live here and not least for the young people here, says Mohamed.
"They were about to kill us"
At the very top of the hill is the entrance to the center. To the left are even more small settlements.
A guy goes up to a tap to fill his water bottle, but the guards whistle and clap their hands to chase him away.
- Down to the beach, shouts the female guard.
Why can't they be up here?
— They were about to kill us.
21-year-old Adam and his friends have made their way here from Tamaris, a suburb of Casablanca.
— We are so hungry, we haven't eaten in five days, says Adam.
He says that the house his family lives in is to be demolished.
– I have fled to be able to help my family, he says.
It has been going on for three days
In the past 24 hours, 70 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest.
More police arrive and drive the guys away. The atmosphere is getting more and more hostile. The guards' walkie-talkies are giving different instructions.
– The atmosphere is getting more and more chaotic on the left flank, more people are needed!
Bottles are flying from the migrant center out to the gangs of thugs.
– Ana and Dávid are going to have breakfast now, Jaime and Manuel back to the right flank, the radio is still crackling.
The intensive work has been going on for three days.
– Yesterday I worked 16 hours, says one of the police officers.
The cleaning patrol is far from finished, but is picking up the pieces.
— This is a total disaster, says cleaner Mohamed.
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