Ceuta residents smash deputy's car over mistaken NGO suspicion

Last Sunday, a crowd of Ceuta residents pelted a car with stones and eggs, convinced it was transporting staff from a humanitarian NGO that had arrived to aid migrants. The car actually belonged to local deputy Julia Ferreras, who identified herself as the assailants tried to force the vehicle open and shattered one of its windows; some participants continued the aggression even after learning her identity. This violent episode reflects a broader pattern of suspicion, rumors and accusations aimed at NGOs in the autonomous city, where they are routinely blamed for facilitating irregular migration, serving political agendas, or even trafficking people.

Special correspondent Bárbara Ayuso describes a climate in which volunteers, activists and journalists feel singled out. In an interview, Patricia Rodríguez Blanco of Planeta Futuro explains that trust in NGOs has deteriorated, fueled by misinformation and political narratives, leaving the sector to confront more crises with dwindling resources and increasingly hostile environments.