This Saturday the Strait of Gibraltar becomes the scene of a unique show of support for Ceuta. Up to 60 boats are called to set sail for the autonomous city from different ports on the Costa del Sol as well as other parts of the Peninsula in an initiative baptized by its promoters as the 'Armada of Solidarity with Ceuta'. The call, of a citizen and peaceful nature, is presented under the motto 'We are all Ceuta, Spain responds together' and seeks to convey to the people of Ceuta a message of support in the face of the migration crisis that occurred after the massive entry of migrants into the autonomous city at the end of July.
The initiative contemplates the participation of up to 60 boats, but the final number was not yet finalized this Friday. Francisco Mier del Castillo, one of the organizers, explains to 20minutos that, according to his calculations, the participation is around 120 people and the final number of boats will be "approximately 45 or 50." The figure of 60 boats corresponds to the limit of moorings that are available for free in the port of Ceuta, so this limit will not be exceeded.
In this particular expedition there is no single starting point, this means that there will not be an image of all the ships sailing in unison. Each skipper will leave from a different port, so each boat will make the crossing from its place of origin. The call has also been extended outside Andalusia. "The word has spread from local to national. In fact, many people from different provinces have called us to inquire about the situation," the organizer says. The promoters and many of the participants already know each other for their ties to the world of navigation, so "this contact has allowed the initiative to spread rapidly."
The creation of this 'Armada of Solidarity' is directly linked to the migration crisis that Ceuta is going through since thousands of migrants from Morocco entered the city on July 30 and 31. This unleashed an international wave of criticism towards border control and has opened an intense debate about the violation of Spanish sovereignty. The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, estimated this Friday that there are 5,000 migrants who still remain in Ceuta, a fact that is not shared by either PP or Vox, who accuse the Government of lying and raise the figure to 20,000.
Mier del Castillo considers that the impact that the call for sailors has achieved responds to the unrest that, in his opinion, exists among a part of the Spanish population due to the management of the situation in the autonomous city. "We want to state that Spanish sovereignty is not for sale. The country is tired of so much apathy on the part of those who should defend us," claims the promoter of the initiative.
The reception in Ceuta
The arrival of the boats, which will occur throughout the day without a specific time, has the collaboration of the Marina de Ceuta port, which provides free mooring to the participants of the expedition. "Each boat will arrive on its own, at the time it wishes and will proceed to its mooring," stated the program released by the organizers.
In addition, sailors will have minibuses at their disposal to visit the city if they are interested and will enjoy a complimentary dinner at 9:00 p.m. at the CAS Nautical Club. Regarding their welcome in the city, Mier del Castillo assures that they have received a "very positive" response from the people of Ceuta and that they are "very encouraged" by the arrival of the sailors.
"The floods in Valencia, the train accident in Córdoba or the forest fires are examples of moments in which citizens from different places have mobilized in the face of a crisis situation," says Mier del Castillo, ensuring that this initiative has the same purpose, "to show support to a population that needs it."
A navigation around the city this Sunday
Looking ahead to Sunday, the programming will continue with a navigation through the waters that surround the autonomous city. The boats will travel along the Ceuta coast between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Next, both the fleet arriving from the Peninsula and that from Ceuta will concentrate in the southern bay to demand a message of unity "between the Spaniards on both sides of the Strait", as stated in their program.
