00:01Ceuta, this Spanish exclave, lies along the Moroccan coast.
00:06It draws African migrants hoping to reach Europe.
00:09But many hit a dead end.
00:11With tensions rising, how is the city coping?
00:18Something's not right.
00:19Morocco opens the border and Spain does nothing?
00:23And who pays the price?
00:25We do, the people who live here.
00:27The migrants think they'll be taken to mainland Spain.
00:30Instead they're stuck here, no asylum, nothing.
00:34As many as 14,000 refugees are believed to be in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
00:40That puts a huge strain on this small city.
00:45Sabah Ahmed Mohamed is Spanish with Moroccan roots.
00:48She pitches in and helps migrants.
00:53When I see all those children on their own,
00:55or someone without shoes.
00:57It breaks my heart.
00:58We're so fortunate.
01:02For years, the 65-year-old has helped however she can,
01:05cooking for and taking in refugees, as many others did in the beginning as well.
01:12Most people helped.
01:13They opened their homes and provided food.
01:16Local residents gave them everything they needed.
01:22Saba was already helping during the first mass influx into the city in 2021,
01:26when 8,000 people crossed the Spanish border from Morocco in a single day.
01:32She handed out face masks, clothing and food.
01:392021 was the first time we'd seen so many people arrive.
01:42But there were nowhere near as many as there are now.
01:45And this time a lot of violent people have come too.
01:50But some just want to build a peaceful new life here.
01:56One of them is Bashir Maimouni.
01:58The 21-year-old wants to earn money in Europe to send to his mother in Morocco.
02:03Saba has given him shelter, and he helps out around the house.
02:09I don't go out much.
02:13I don't want trouble with anyone.
02:15I just want a chance to build a future for myself.
02:20But with so many refugees stranded here, most residents feel unsafe.
02:26Spanish and Ceuta flags are on display everywhere,
02:30partly reflecting fears that the exclave could one day become part of Morocco.
02:36They're getting by somehow.
02:38But there has to be a proper system with documents and everything.
02:41Not this.
02:43This is dangerous for our city and country.
02:47An invasion.
02:48And the government hasn't taken any decisive action.
02:53Spain's current government is in crisis and has announced new elections.
02:58That gives Omar Chayib hope.
03:00He represents the Ceuta Neighborhood Association.
03:06We want whoever wins to finally do something,
03:09and not leave us to deal with this alone.
03:14In late July, 2026, the situation reached a breaking point.
03:19This time, 80,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, many swimming along the coastline.
03:26The police were completely overwhelmed.
03:32Spain's government responded by installing a 500-meter floating barrier.
03:38But police union representative Eduardo Garcia said the response had come far too late.
03:44Hundreds of officers had been sent to Ceuta, but they were stretched to the limit.
03:50Garcia also places part of the blame on Morocco.
03:55One thing's clear.
03:56Morocco's police and military didn't do the slightest thing to stop these huge crowds.
04:01There's no way they could have failed to notice what was happening.
04:06September brought more unrest.
04:08Spanish security forces tried to relocate migrants to a camp.
04:14Many resisted registration, afraid they would be deported to Morocco.
04:22When makeshift camps like this one are cleared, many people flee into the mountains.
04:29That means the problem remains, and there's no way to solve it.
04:39Bashir begins serving food, a stew of potatoes, chickpeas and meat.
04:45But with so many mouths to feed, there just isn't enough for everyone.
04:51And Saba has little hope that new elections in Spain will change anything.
04:57They all have big plans, but we'll see if they actually follow through.
05:02Every new administration comes to power making promises, but many of those are not held.
05:08With no relief in sight and pressure mounting,
05:11how does Saba find the strength to keep helping refugees?
05:19I have children too. I'm a mother and a sister.
05:23These people could be our own brothers and sisters, our own children.
05:27We have to help them.
05:32Saba's work is far from over.
05:34She feels it's only a matter of time until the next wave of refugees arrives.
05:39Wasn't too much more than the next wave of refugees?
05:42We have to stop the enemy's building.
05:46We have to stop the enemy.
