The worst August for Ceuta's merchants

The employers' association estimates losses at between 40 % and 70 % and is demanding urgent government aid in the face of the collapse in tourism and the uncertainty

Shop assistant in a perfumery in the city of Ceuta

The effects of the massive influx of migrants into Ceuta on July 30th have severely impacted the city's retail and hospitality sectors. The Ceuta Business Confederation estimates losses of between 40 % and 70 % compared to the previous year and is urging the government to implement the measures proposed by the business association to mitigate the impact. «These are urgent measures, not a recovery plan. That will come later,» the Confederation's Secretary General, Juan Manuel Parrado, explained to EL MUNDO.

The proposals were submitted approximately a week ago to the First Vice President and Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, but business leaders say they have yet to receive a response. «We met with the minister today. His willingness and cooperation are good, but the government still hasn't responded to our demands or established any well-founded plans,» Parrado complained. «This should have been addressed from the third day. Now it's too late. It's a constant source of demoralization.»

The Ceuta business association has proposed six urgent measures. These include a moratorium on Social Security payments, direct financial aid for affected businesses, debt restructuring mechanisms, and measures to protect employment.

It also demands that the Administration compensate those business owners who have been forced to hire private security to protect their establishments, and calls for a simplification of administrative procedures to expedite any aid.

Miguel Encomiendas, owner of a tobacco stall in the city of Ceuta

The problem, the Confederation explains, isn't just how much money is being lost now, but not knowing how long the situation will continue: «Uncertainty is the worst-case scenario for any business,» Parrado summarizes. EL MUNDO toured the commercial streets of Ceuta to see how all of this plays out on a daily basis. Miguel Encomiendas Romero has been behind the counter of a tobacco kiosk in the city center for over 25 years. Since the mass influx, groups of young migrants have been making constant purchases. He says he's reliving situations he experienced during the 2021 border crisis. «I have the same problems I had then,» he states.

During the first few days, he says, a large group of men tried to force open the display cases to steal merchandise. «I had to bring out an iron bar to protect my shop,» he maintains.

This feeling of insecurity is echoed by some business owners, although not all sectors are being affected in the same way. In a perfumery located in one of the busiest areas for tourists, the main problem isn't theft, but rather the lack of customers. Juan Carlos Román, the shop's manager, says that since July 30th, sales have dropped by around 70 % compared to the same period last summer: «Seeing how things are, people aren't coming to Ceuta,» he laments.

The images circulated in recent weeks have crossed Spanish borders. According to the owner, foreign suppliers have called the establishment, concerned after seeing what was happening on television.

The drop in tourism, coupled with the cancellation of the trade fair, has drastically reduced the flow of customers. «We've had to reduce staff and not hire the usual summer reinforcements. The situation is dire.»

Román explains that many travelers crossing the Strait traditionally included a stop in Ceuta before continuing their journey. «Many people took the opportunity to stop here. Now they've removed Ceuta from the route,» he says.

With fewer tourists on the streets, the decline isn't just reflected in revenue. Some workers who cover the afternoon shifts say they feel unsafe returning home and try to travel by car to avoid walking the streets alone at night.

Pharmacies present a different reality. They haven't experienced such a sharp drop in sales, but their employees have observed a significant increase in young migrants coming in looking for bandages, gauze, and wound care products.

A pharmacist at her establishment in the city of Ceuta

Some avoid going to the hospital because, as they themselves explain, they fear being identified and subsequently deported. This fear has turned the streets into makeshift clinics. In various parts of Ceuta, it is common to see young people helping each other clean or bandage wounds suffered while crossing the border or while exposed to the elements.

In sporting goods stores, the situation is more contradictory. Young migrants are also potential customers. Many buy sneakers, t-shirts, or sportswear. But some establishments claim to have also suffered thefts and conflicts. Celia, Mohamed, and Carmen work at the Dewe sporting goods store, and they summarize the paradox with a scene from July 30th that still surprises them. «A young man came in with his clothes completely soaked. He had just swum across. He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and showed us about 5,000 euros,» they recall.

The economic reality of migrants is far from homogeneous: while some cross with nothing, others arrive with large amounts of cash.

As the day progresses, several shopkeepers explain, the way they organize their work also changes. The Pandora jewelry store in the city center is currently operating normally, although its sales have also been affected by the reduction in tourism. The establishment has security buttons and door locking systems, but has opted to reinforce the afternoon shifts to avoid having a single employee alone in the store during the hours when immigrants flood the streets.

Employees recall a recent incident: «A young man came in and started touching the glass in the display cases.» When they approached him to ask him to leave, they say he replied, «I just want to see if the protective glass is hard or soft.» The incident didn't escalate further, but it added to the sense of unease that was already present among the staff.

The crisis has also affected bars and restaurants. Workers at a centrally located establishment claim to have received threats after refusing to serve certain groups. «We've been ordered not to because some leave without paying. When we refuse, they tell us they'll wait for us outside when our shift ends,» one of the employees recounts.

They also denounce the use of toilets in some establishments for impromptu washing or grooming, and claim to find them later in unsanitary conditions.

In stark contrast are the electronics and mobile phone shops, where migrants wait to be served or gaze endlessly at the shop windows. «They come here to buy phones they've lost at sea or to top up their SIM cards,» explains the owner of one of these shops.

Outside the store, this newspaper asks a group of young people if they've bought anything: «This phone! I'm going to talk to my family!» exclaims Ismael. He claims to have spent €250 on the device and adds: «It's an iPhone, it's always good.»

Migrants observe a mobile phone shop in the city of Ceuta

Ceuta is trying to keep its shops open, fill its terraces, and revive tourism while continuing to manage the consequences of the massive influx. The perception of insecurity coexists with another harsh reality: that of businesses trying to adapt to an exceptional situation whose end is still unknown.

That is why the Confederation is demanding that extraordinary measures be adopted as soon as possible. Because, as Parrado warns, for a large part of Ceuta's business community, the time to react has already run out, «and the solution is coming too late.»