In Ceuta, firefighters discovered an underground gallery approximately 400 meters long, apparently used as shelter by migrants. Emergency responders stumbled upon the unusual dwelling during a firefighting operation. Inside the abandoned tunnels, they found mattresses, clothing, cooking utensils, leftover food, and personal belongings.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
According to Spanish media, the facility is a former military infrastructure that is no longer in regular use. The underground gallery reportedly runs between Playa del Sarchal and the current university campus.
Indications of a longer stay
Numerous items found by the fire department indicate that the tunnels were not just temporary hiding places. Besides mattresses and blankets, emergency responders discovered clothing, pots, containers, food scraps, and large quantities of trash.
Inflatable boats and a surfboard were also found in the underground facility. These items suggest that people had been there for an extended period. However, no one was in the gallery at the time of the fire department’s intervention.
The fire led the fire brigade to the tunnels
The accommodation was discovered in connection with a fire in the underground facility. Initial reports suggest that an improvised stove may have caused the fire. Among other things, burnt mattresses were found in the tunnels.
Conditions on site were difficult for the emergency services. The gallery is dark, partially difficult to access, and filled with numerous objects and pieces of waste. At the same time, such an environment poses a significant risk to people who spend the night there.
It is unclear how many people lived there
The exact number of people who used the tunnels as shelter cannot currently be determined. Spanish media report several dozen possible residents, with some sources mentioning a capacity of around 50 people.
Other estimates are significantly higher, suggesting that up to several hundred people may have been in the extensive tunnel system, at least temporarily. No confirmed figure has been found yet.
However, it is clear that the quantity of items left behind indicates regular and long-term use.
Old military installation within Ceuta
The gallery is part of a former military infrastructure. Access was apparently originally locked. According to the fire department, the barrier was opened, allowing people to enter the underground facility.
Contrary to some speculation, this is not an underground tunnel to Morocco. The gallery is located entirely within the territory of Ceuta. Following the discovery, access has reportedly been secured. Furthermore, measures have been taken to prevent the structure from being used as accommodation again.
Firefighters warn of further galleries
Particularly noteworthy is the indication that the recently discovered accommodation is apparently not an isolated case. Ceuta has numerous old military installations and underground galleries. It is therefore possible that other such locations are also being used by people as sleeping quarters.
This raises the question for the authorities not only of how to permanently secure the newly discovered access point, but also of whether other decommissioned facilities need to be inspected.
Precarious accommodation amidst the migration crisis
The discovery also highlights the difficult conditions under which some migrants are living in Ceuta. The city continues to grapple with the consequences of the recent migration movements. Besides official facilities, some people are apparently seeking alternative sleeping places – in this case, even in an abandoned underground military facility.
The discovery also sheds light on the question of what previously little-known shelters have developed in Ceuta. For the fire department, safety is paramount: a fire in such a tunnel system could quickly become life-threatening for the people living there.
