Clearing of Migrant Camp in Ceuta
On Sunday, over 350 officials, including members of the Spanish National Police and other agencies, forcibly dismantled an illegal migrant camp located on the Guano esplanade in Ceuta.
This camp was the final major shantytown still standing in Ceuta after a similar operation earlier this month cleared another encampment at Trampolín beach, which has been one of the areas most impacted by the migrant influx into the Spanish North African exclave.
The timing of Sunday’s operation was significant, occurring just two days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia’s planned visit to Ceuta—marking the first time a Spanish monarch has visited the area in almost 20 years.
During their stay, which will begin on Tuesday, the royals are expected to spend the night, making it the first overnight visit by a Spanish monarch to Ceuta in nearly a century. They will then travel to Melilla the following day.
The operation, as reported by the newspaper La Vanguardia, commenced Sunday morning and involved a coordinated effort from the Spanish National Police, Civil Guard, local law enforcement, and the Armed Forces, successfully removing around 500 illegal migrants from the area.
Similar to what occurred at Trampolín beach, officials offered the migrants two options: either return voluntarily to Morocco or be taken to a Temporary Foreigners’ Assistance Center (CATE) for housing in government facilities.
While La Vanguardia could not confirm how many chose to return to Morocco, a local resident who observed the scene stated that by 10:00 a.m., no one remained. This person expressed a sense of loss for the beach, lamenting that “it will never be the same again.” They mentioned that the area now lies in ruins, covered in trash, adding, “we can’t swim in this water because it’s so dirty.”
Footage of the operation was shared by a local news outlet, El Faro de Ceuta.
By Sunday night, Ceuta’s Department of the Environment had reportedly cleared 105 metric tons of debris left behind by the migrants in the Guano area after weeks of occupation.
However, these recent efforts to remove the encampments have not resolved the ongoing challenges faced by Ceuta regarding illegal migration. Local residents and community leaders told El Mundo on Monday that anxiety persists in their lives, and they feel far from returning to normalcy.
Residents noted that makeshift tents can still be found across their neighborhoods, with a significant camp remaining in the central square of Poblado de Regulares. One elderly woman, identified as “Mina,” shared her distress, saying, “At night there’s noise all the time, there are fights; it’s a terrible situation.”
She admitted, “I don’t go out at all, I’m afraid,” explaining that her walks outside have become rare, limited to stepping out to stretch her legs amid safety concerns.
Mina has spent her entire life in a building originally meant for soldiers from a nearby barracks and currently resides with one of her sons, while the others have long departed Ceuta.
