Weeks after a mass arrival of migrants from Morocco put the Spanish exclave of Ceuta under strain, the police officers sent to reinforce the city are speaking out about the conditions in which they have been housed. The complaints, first reported by the local daily El Faro de Ceuta and echoed by the Spanish Confederation of Police (CEP), centre on overcrowded dormitories, inadequate sanitation and poor ventilation at a military barracks.
The officers were deployed as part of a security operation that followed the crossings of 30 and 31 July, when hundreds of migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco. Most have since been returned, but the National Police units, including the Intervention Units (UIP), remain on the ground. Now, their living arrangements have become a point of contention.
Eight to a room, one fan for all
According to testimonies gathered by the CEP, officers are being housed in rooms fitted with eight bunk beds, meaning seven or eight people share a single space. Each room reportedly has just one fan, and no air conditioning — a serious issue in the summer heat of Ceuta, where temperatures make rest difficult.
The most striking complaint concerns the sanitary facilities. On one floor of the barracks, around 70 officers are said to be sharing a single toilet. The union describes this as incompatible with basic hygiene and rest requirements. Showers are poorly maintained, and ventilation in the sleeping areas is described as inadequate.
In a post on X, the CEP said: "It is outrageous. Every time there is a crisis Marlaska calls on the police. He knows we are a guarantee of success. But then, as in Ceuta, he punishes us with degrading accommodation that looks like a chamber of horrors." The reference is to Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who oversees the National Police.
The union has also drawn attention to the broader context of the deployment. "Colleagues are going to give their all in Ceuta because they are professionals and they know what is at stake there for Spain," the CEP said in another post. "Meanwhile, Marlaska punishes them with degrading accommodation, in conditions that would force any minister to resign."
Officers are careful, however, to distinguish between the state of the facilities and the attitude of the military personnel who run them. "We have been treated very well. Top marks to them, but the conditions are what they are and all they have available," they said, praising the army's willingness to help within the limits of what is on offer.
The CEP has formally requested an urgent preventive inspection of the barracks. It wants a dedicated risk assessment to determine whether the accommodation meets the necessary safety and health standards. The union is asking for measurements of temperature, humidity and ventilation, as well as an evaluation of the rest areas.
If the shortcomings are confirmed, the CEP insists that corrective measures be taken immediately. That includes upgrading toilets and showers, replacing worn-out mattresses, and — if the barracks cannot be brought up to standard — finding alternative accommodation for the deployed officers.
The union stresses that rest and hygiene are not luxuries but operational necessities, especially during long deployments. Officers are in Ceuta to reinforce security in a city that remains a focal point of migration pressure on the EU's southern border. The situation has drawn attention beyond Spain, with EU experts arriving in Ceuta amid fears of a new surge. The treatment of those who are sent to manage such crises, the CEP argues, should reflect the importance of their mission.
