Ceuta clears equestrian centre to house migrants
Ceuta's equestrian centre is changing occupants: migrants move in, horses move out. The move reopens the debate over reception capacity and resources in the Spanish enclave.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ceuta turns equestrian centre into migrant accommodation
Ceuta has decided that the horses at its equestrian centre can wait; the migrants cannot. The measure, first reported by El Pueblo de Ceuta, involves relocating the animals so the riding arenas can be used as temporary shelter. An emergency solution which, like all of them, leaves scars.
The horse as collateral damage
Reactions were not long in coming. Some argue that the horse is a noble animal that does not deserve to be evicted over a crisis it did not create. Others see the decision as a symptom of the authorities' lack of foresight, unable to offer dignified reception without resorting to infrastructure built for another purpose. And there is no shortage of those who point out, wryly, that animal rights campaigners, so vocal on other causes, fall silent when those affected are people.
An emergency solution with a long-term cost
Behind the equine anecdote looms a structural problem: for years the autonomous city has borne a level of migratory pressure out of all proportion to its size. Every arrival forces improvisation, and someone always ends up paying for it. This time it is the horses bearing the cost, though the real price, in terms of social cohesion and municipal resources, will be paid over months.
If the trend does not change, this will be the first of many rushed relocations. And the debate over where to put people and animals will keep being postponed. In the meantime, the horses, at least, will know what it is to sleep away from home.
Ceuta has decided that the horses at its equestrian centre can wait; the migrants cannot. The measure, first reported by El Pueblo de Ceuta, involves relocating the animals so the riding arenas can be used as temporary shelter. An emergency solution which, like all of them, leaves scars.
The horse as collateral damage
Reactions were not long in coming. Some argue that the horse is a noble animal that does not deserve to be evicted over a crisis it did not create. Others see the decision as a symptom of the authorities' lack of foresight, unable to offer dignified reception without resorting to infrastructure built for another purpose. And there is no shortage of those who point out, wryly, that animal rights campaigners, so vocal on other causes, fall silent when those affected are people.
An emergency solution with a long-term cost
Behind the equine anecdote looms a structural problem: for years the autonomous city has borne a level of migratory pressure out of all proportion to its size. Every arrival forces improvisation, and someone always ends up paying for it. This time it is the horses bearing the cost, though the real price, in terms of social cohesion and municipal resources, will be paid over months.
If the trend does not change, this will be the first of many rushed relocations. And the debate over where to put people and animals will keep being postponed. In the meantime, the horses, at least, will know what it is to sleep away from home.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
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