Spanish Police Begin Operation to Clear Ceuta Migrant Beaches

Spanish police began an operation to move hundreds of migrants from the beaches of Ceuta to a temporary camp in the Spanish enclave's port area.

The operation started at about 6:30 am local time on Friday. Police struggled to contain crowds of people jostling to secure one of the 1,700 places at the new tented site after weeks of living on the beaches. Officers fired warning shots with rubber bullets and used batons to manage the crowds. More than 70,000 migrants streamed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30th and 31st in an unprecedented surge.

Most returned in the following hours, but thousands remained in precarious conditions, sleeping in streets or makeshift tents. Ceuta authorities estimate 13,000 migrants have remained in the 18.5 square kilometer territory, though the Spanish central government says the figure is lower. The operation aims to concentrate migrants in facilities where they can be identified and cared for.

Digital transformation minister Óscar López stated moving migrants off beaches would help authorities process cases more quickly and ease pressure on public spaces. The Spanish government proceeded with the transfer despite opposition from the conservative local authority. Deteriorating conditions fueled tensions with local residents, leading to near-daily protests. Ceuta's Mayor Juan Jesus Vivas told lawmakers in the European Parliament that migrants had turned Ceuta into a pressure cooker. The temporary housing is built only for adult men, so minors are being separated and housed separately.