No Name Kitchen is an independent movement working alongside the Balkans and Mediterranean routes to promote humanitarian aid and political action in favour of those suffering the hardships of extreme journeys and violent rejections. 

This is a real quote from a member of the NNK field team talking about a person on the move (PoM): we don't help, we decide to fight against injustice and empathise with those who suffer the illegalities of an unjust system. After a field experience, we learned much more as volunteers than we gave to those suffering from vulnerable conditions. 

Ceuta is an autonomous Spanish city located in North Africa and separated from the continent by the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a city surrounded by borders: the natural border formed by the Mediterranean Sea and the artificial borders, three fences separating Moroccan territory from Spanish territory. At the El Tarajal border crossing, there are offices where you can apply for international protection; however, doing so is an unattainable dream, as Morocco, charged with the EU's border externalisation policy, prevents anyone intending to apply for asylum from crossing and effectively paralyses access to the procedure. 

Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area: people arriving in the city face a real obstacle to accessing the European area of free movement. It is a city marked by its colonial heritage, with a military presence, an oversized administration and uneven development characterised by social division and large socio-economic differences between families and neighbourhoods. It is a unique context, with a large part of the population of Moroccan origin and a neighbouring country, Morocco, that does not officially recognise Spanish sovereignty over the territory, while migratory pressure is a source of division rather than integration. This social (dis)integration leads to tensions, exacerbated by the presence of people in an irregular administrative situation, whose vulnerability is exploited politically to generate a climate of threat and rejection that obscures the roots of the social inequality faced by migrants at risk of exclusion.

Although most people from sub-Saharan Africa and other regions find a place in the city's CETI, there is a recurring presence of people of Moroccan origin, who continue to be deprived of their fundamental right to register on the municipal census and, therefore, to exercise their rights and obligations as citizens, as well as being denied access to asylum and guardianship systems. This discrimination leads to the systematic exclusion of the segment of the population targeted by this project: people living on the streets, originally from North African countries, mostly minors or young people, both those whose guardianship period is about to expire and former wards who have not received the relevant documentation to continue their migration process or apply for asylum, and who for this reason have had to leave the CETI to live on the streets.

No Name Kitchen has been operating in Ceuta since February 2021. As explained, the project focuses mainly on providing legal support to different groups of people. Therefore, in addition to volunteers and local collaborators, as usual, a solicitor is also part of the team. In this way, the legal actions and support we can provide are tailored to the specific needs of each person at any given time. Furthermore, we can focus on some long-term strategies to fight for more systemic changes.

All the work begins with outreach on the streets. We do not have an office, so we travel around the city to meet people and start building relationships with them, so that we can help them with whatever they need. We also provide food, clothing and showers when necessary, but that is not the main objective of the project. As a team, we also organise various social activities together with POM to create a safe space that breaks the frustrating routine they face every day.

There is a large police presence in Ceuta. POM suffers greatly from racial profiling, discrimination and police violence. The police frequently stop the NNK team, whether on foot or in their cars, questioning the volunteers and sometimes searching them. Apart from a few verbal confrontations, the police have never caused any problems for NNK volunteers.

NNK is registered as a local organisation in Spain, which helps activists as they can provide a registration number for the organisation.

What shall we do?

In Ceuta, we have a team of four people who are "focal points". The Kitchen's field lawyer is also part of the team. She is the only person employed in the field: after two years in Ceuta, it is clear that there is a need for a lawyer employed in the field to handle the legal proceedings of the people we support.

Everyone performs their duties on a voluntary basis. The entire team has to make daily rounds to the places where homeless people live to check on them, see if there are any medical emergencies or if there are any new developments in their situation, which is plagued by abuses of their rights. It is a good way to create spaces of trust and friendly places for people, many of whom are minors.

Every day, depending on needs, we may have to distribute clean clothes or provide medical care to people living on the streets. The distributions and other leisure activities we carry out give us the opportunity to meet people and let them know about the work of NNK. This is how we can get to know the situation well and collect reports of violence against these people in order to report it publicly or even file a complaint. In addition to homeless people, we also work with people who have been living in Ceuta for years but who, due to administrative and bureaucratic irregularities, are not yet registered and lack the rights that this procedure provides in the long term.

In addition to the daily rounds, which are an essential part of the work, each person has specific tasks. In this project, this is the position required and the dates that need to be covered (to be selected, you must commit to two months in the field):

1 PLAZA: FOCAL POINT FOR HEALTH, WATER AND HYGIENE

• Street medicine: NNK is not a medical NGO; the activities in this area can be carried out by non-specialised personnel. However, whenever possible, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics are recommended for this role, mainly due to their experience. The key activities are: cleaning wounds, treating scabies and skin infections. 

• Specialised medical care: when street medicine is not enough, the HWH focal point accompanies people on the move to hospitals/clinics, ensuring access to care (e.g. identifying people who need dental, physiotherapy, orthopaedic, gynaecological treatment, etc.).

• Water and hygiene: organising with the rest of the team the distribution of hygiene items, showers and scabies treatment.

1 PLAZA: FOCAL POINT FOR SOCIAL/LEGAL SUPPORT.

• Information sessions on rights and responsibilities, both for individuals and groups.

• Case management, follow-up on specific cases, accompanying them to local authorities and ensuring that their rights are respected.

• Communicating, working in cooperation with the rest of the team and ensuring that the flow of communication works. This is the only focal point within the entire NNK that has a technical reference living in the field (lawyer). Therefore, do not hesitate to coordinate with her.

Further information

Selected students will undergo a mandatory validation process with NNK before their final participation. It is advisable to ensure diversity within teams. For this reason, students who know each other may be sent to different locations in order to ensure integration and positive team dynamics.a. 

NNK is a grassroots organisation where highly motivated volunteers (non-profit/junior humanitarian profiles) find their place to gain first-hand experience in the field. Coming to NNK projects is a unique experience, but it is not for everyone. We are looking for conscientious and responsible individuals who can understand the sensitivity of being in the field, dealing with a vulnerable population as well as (in some cases) hostile actors. In the field, we adopt a low profile; we do not seek confrontation with the police, but rather mutual understanding. We are looking for people who are able to adapt to complex situations in which everyone contributes to teamwork (beyond the focal point). 

There is much more information about the organisation, the places where it works, the responsibilities of each position, etc., for those who want to participate in No Name Kitchen projects. Please ask the contact persons at your university for this information before the selection interview if you are interested.

 Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the city of Ceuta

This project has local support, which means that the social organisation hosting you will be your main point of contact, with occasional support from the university responsible for the project. 

Universidad Pontificia Comillas (María Iglesias Martínez)