Migrants in Ceuta, Spain set up beach businesses despite official claims
Migrants in Ceuta, Spain have set up a barbershop on the beach while the government insists normality returned on 1 August. The informal economy, laid bare.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The beach barbershop that undermines the official story in Ceuta
An improvised barbershop on the sand of Ceuta has become the image that contradicts the official account. While sources at the Ministry of the Interior, led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, insisted that normality was restored on 1 August, footage shows migrants serving customers in a business put together with whatever came to hand. The scene, circulating for hours now, has peine an economic debate: this is no longer a humanitarian emergency, it is economic activity.
The phenomenon is no small thing. Several spontaneous businesses have been identified on the beach: haircuts, street vending, barbering services. The most striking, a barbershop signed 'insaid', has become a symbol of a shadow economy growing outside the institutions. Some see this initiative as a sign of entrepreneurship, even with tax exemptions involved. But others point out the irony that among the improvised barbers are engineers forced to take jobs beneath their qualifications.
The gap between the official announcement and what is happening on the sand is no minor detail. While the official version speaks of normality, reality shows that the migration crisis has mutated into a self-organised informal market. The question is no longer when normality will return, but who controls a business that has no intention of asking for permission.
An improvised barbershop on the sand of Ceuta has become the image that contradicts the official account. While sources at the Ministry of the Interior, led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, insisted that normality was restored on 1 August, footage shows migrants serving customers in a business put together with whatever came to hand. The scene, circulating for hours now, has peine an economic debate: this is no longer a humanitarian emergency, it is economic activity.
The phenomenon is no small thing. Several spontaneous businesses have been identified on the beach: haircuts, street vending, barbering services. The most striking, a barbershop signed 'insaid', has become a symbol of a shadow economy growing outside the institutions. Some see this initiative as a sign of entrepreneurship, even with tax exemptions involved. But others point out the irony that among the improvised barbers are engineers forced to take jobs beneath their qualifications.
The gap between the official announcement and what is happening on the sand is no minor detail. While the official version speaks of normality, reality shows that the migration crisis has mutated into a self-organised informal market. The question is no longer when normality will return, but who controls a business that has no intention of asking for permission.
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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 (16 replies).
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