At the port of Ceuta, officials warned of potential losses of €600 million due to a migrant camp.

Using the port of Ceuta to house migrants threatens its revenues, said the head of the port administration of the autonomous Spanish city, Juan Manuel Donsel, according to the Spanish outlet 20 Minutos.

“If the operation of the port of Ceuta stops or decreases, there will be significant losses that could be estimated at about €147 million. This is a serious problem,” warned Donsel. He also said the figure would rise to €600 million if the tents for housing migrants remain in place until 2027. According to him, the migration crisis has already begun to affect the functioning of the Ceuta port, as evidenced by a reduction in the number of arriving cruise ships.

He criticized the government for a lack of information about the progress of the operation to respond to the migration crisis and demanded that potentially irreparable economic damage be prevented. Donsel underscored the strategic importance of the Ceuta port in the Strait of Gibraltar, through which 300 ships pass daily.

Soon after meeting with the government delegation to discuss the issue, he said he was “very concerned” about how the migrant situation could affect the safety and uninterrupted operation of the port. Donsel acknowledged the need to respond to the migration crisis but noted that he does not consider the port the most suitable place for housing migrants. As he emphasized, it is unacceptable to jeopardize “one of the city’s main economic and industrial centers.”

According to Donsel, the port accounts for 25 % of the added value generated by the autonomous city’s economy and provides about 7,100 direct and indirect jobs. “It is a strategically important asset for the city, a fundamental part of its territorial structure and, ultimately, a vital artery that connects us to the mainland for transport and supply,” said the head of the port administration.

At the end of this year, tens of thousands of illegal migrants were able to reach Ceuta directly, as well as sneak past the seawall that separates the city from Morocco. Due to the crisis, Madrid decided to mobilize the military to help ensure security in the settlement. Some migrants still remain in Ceuta. In September, the Spanish Ministry of Transport ordered the temporary use of 16,000 square meters of territory at the Ceuta port to set up a temporary tent city capable of housing up to one thousand migrants. Amid the migration crisis, Italy suspended the Schengen Agreement with Spain on August 1st.