Spanish police move hundreds of Ceuta migrants off beaches to tented camp

Spanish police on Friday moved hundreds of migrants from the beaches of Ceuta to a temporary tented camp in the port area of the Spanish enclave, weeks after a record influx from Morocco, AFP reported.

Officers began rounding up migrants at 6:30am (0430 GMT) and struggled to contain crowds jostling to secure one of the 1,700 places at the new site after weeks of living on the beaches, according to a Spanish government source in Ceuta. By noon, all 1,700 places had been taken and the transfer operation had wrapped up, bringing the enclave’s total temporary accommodation capacity to 6,000 people.

Ceuta authorities estimate that 13,000 migrants have remained in the 18.5-square-kilometre territory; the central government says the figure is lower. The Spanish government pressed ahead with the transfer despite opposition from the conservative local authority.

“This is a key step,” digital transformation minister Oscar Lopez said on Friday, arguing the move would help authorities process cases more quickly and ease pressure on public spaces.

More than 70,000 migrants streamed into Ceuta from Morocco on 30 and 31 July in an unprecedented surge that left scores dead, according to AFP. Most returned within hours, but thousands remained sleeping in the streets or makeshift tents, and deteriorating conditions have fuelled near-daily protests, some of which have drawn support from far-right groups.

Sources

• AFP via The Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-move-ceuta-migrants-off-beaches-in-spanish-enclave/
• AFP via Hespress (update 21 September 2026, 20:09): https://en.hespress.com/145804-police-move-ceuta-migrants-off-beaches-in-spanish-enclave-2.html
• Arab News (AFP): https://www.arabnews.com/world/police-move-ceuta-migrants-off-beaches-in-spanish-enclave-3002201
• The Times (context): https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/cueta-spain-migrant-surge-morocco-elections-latest-9qnbsm5sz