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Hundreds of migrants who recently arrived in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta staged a protest on a popular urban beach Sunday. They urged Spanish authorities to grant them asylum rather than deport them back to Morocco.

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We're sleeping next to the sea, with cold and bad smells. We're suffering a lot.

These migrants are part of an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 who remain in Ceuta following a mass border crossing two weeks prior, which saw over 72,000 people surge into the territory. While the majority returned voluntarily, many of the remaining migrants are living in difficult conditions on El Trampolin beach or the city's outskirts, hoping for a chance to travel to continental Europe. "We're sleeping next to the sea, with cold and bad smells. We're suffering a lot," said Ayoub Elarroud from Tetouan, Morocco, noting that police were preventing migrants from entering the city center.

The protesters held Spanish flags and banners reading "We don't want to go back to Morocco" and "We are also human," chanting "We're tired" and "We need a solution." On nearby shores, some migrants washed clothes while others fished with makeshift rods. Earlier this week, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that migrants who entered irregularly would not be allowed to stay in the enclave or travel to mainland Spain, except in cases of extreme vulnerability.

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We don't want to go back to Morocco

Ceuta's health services are reportedly strained. The head of the city's medical board, Enrique Roviralta, told Onda Cero radio that limited healthcare workers were exhausted and criticized the central government's slow response. Roviralta also noted outbreaks of infectious diarrhea and scabies, alongside an increase in violence-related injuries. Health Minister Monica Garcia acknowledged the pressure on services but rejected claims of collapse, stating, "To associate migration with illness is unjust and xenophobic." She indicated a moderate risk of epidemic outbreaks for migrants and a low risk for residents.

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We are also human

Many Moroccan migrants cited poor working conditions and low wages in their home country as reasons for their journey. Mohammed Ouanzar, an automation specialist from Fez, described monthly salaries of around $324 as insufficient for buying a home or starting a family. "Once I reached Spanish soil, I felt like I was born again," he said. "I'd rather die than return." Hicham Chikir, 25, expressed a desire to work in Europe, stating, "If anyone is bad, the police can send them back." Emmanuel, an electrician from Nigeria, spoke of a perilous four-month journey driven by his children's inability to attend school due to conflict.

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We're tired