Police Operation in Ceuta Targets Migrant Encampment

On Sunday, hundreds of Spanish National Police officers arrived in Ceuta, a North African exclave, to carry out a significant operation aimed at dismantling a notorious illegal migrant camp situated on the main beach. This follows a massive influx of over 70,000 migrants from Morocco in July.

In the early hours of the day, around 350 officers from various parts of Spain began the challenging task of removing the makeshift tents set up on Trampolín beach. Many migrants were sent back quickly, but about 10,000 stayed in Ceuta, including roughly 3,000 males of military age mostly from North Africa, who remained in the beach encampment.

The police operation saw the deployment of around fifty National Police vans, three riot police vehicles, and ten armored military units to set up a cordon and establish checkpoints throughout Ceuta. Three Civil Guard boats also tried to prevent migrants from swimming away from the beach, according to reports.

Initial attempts to resist the operation included chants of “no to Morocco!” from some individuals, but riot police moved in swiftly to break up the demonstration.

As part of the operation, hundreds of migrants were loaded onto buses—two from the National Police and one from the municipal government—and taken to the El Tarajal border crossing with Morocco. There, they were informed about the option to “voluntarily” return to Morocco or provide their information to the Temporary Foreigners’ Assistance Center (CATE) for potential government housing.

Most appeared to prefer the voluntary return, possibly to avoid triggering the deportation process that comes with sharing their information with Spanish authorities, which would also affect their future asylum claims.

However, those who claimed to be minors were sent to government accommodations, with some likely eligible for refugee status, allowing them to remain in Spain.

During a visit to Ceuta, Ángel Víctor Torres Pérez, the Minister for Territorial Policy, mentioned that the government aims to clear the beach of illegal migrants by October 15. This operation is more complicated than one last month that removed a smaller camp from nearby Benítez beach, also in just two days—largely due to the significant number of individuals involved and health precautions needed to prevent disease spread.

Health officials recently announced that the waters around the beach were “contaminated” with E. coli, which posed health risks. Samples collected in late September indicated high levels of intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli, surpassing the safe limits set for coastal waters.

This contamination is thought to stem from the large number of migrants using the water for bathing and washing food items. Previously, there have been reports of disease outbreaks, including tuberculosis, due to unsanitary conditions, such as defecation on the beach.

Even as efforts are made to clear the beach, there are still thousands of migrants in the city, including many who claim to be minors. Reports suggest Madrid’s Ministry of Migration plans to house and provide meals for about 6,000 migrants until early next year while their asylum applications are processed.