Spanish authorities have dismantled the sprawling migrant camp at El Trampolín beach in Ceuta, moving 1,800 people into newly prepared shelters. The Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil led the operation, which began at dawn on 4 October and continued on 5 October. It targeted a makeshift settlement where around 3,500 migrants had lived since the mass arrival at the end of July. The move came after weeks of pressure to address the humanitarian risks for people sleeping outdoors, exposed to the elements.
From early morning, police and civil guards worked with NGOs including Engloba and Accem to organize the evacuation. Migrants were grouped by language so officials could explain the relocation plan. Authorities sought voluntary compliance, persuading people to move to reception centres set up by the central government. Elma Saiz, Spain’s Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, said the two new facilities could accommodate 1,800 people. She said further expansion was expected to house others still in Ceuta.
The first groups to leave the beach included sub-Saharan and Maghrebi migrants. Around 1,200 sub-Saharan nationals went to a military site in Loma Margarita, while approximately 200 Maghrebis were taken to a separate area in Loma Colmenar, near the El Tarajal border. The operation also covered migrants who had been camped in Loma Colmenar. Police maintained a visible presence at both sites as people arrived and settled into the shelters.
The beach camp had also become a focus of asylum demands. On 16 August, migrants gathered at El Trampolín to call for access to asylum procedures, while humanitarian groups, including the Spanish Red Cross, distributed food. The encampment reflected both urgent shelter needs and requests for protection. As the evacuation continued, many migrants left the beach cheering and waving to journalists and police. By midday, most tents on the sand stood empty. Beach cleaning was briefly halted when dozens of migrants returned, apparently looking for belongings they had left behind.
The beach clearance formed part of a wider operation, not a single-site evacuation. In a 19 October briefing, government spokesperson and Migration Minister Elma Saiz said settlements at El Trampolín and El Guano beaches had been dismantled. Further clearances took place in Poblados Regulares, at the Tarajal esplanade and warehouses, and around Ceuta’s Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes (CETI). The government said it had established 7,477 places in temporary humanitarian-accommodation facilities. It also reported that 12,705 people had returned to Morocco since 10 August, including 12,142 voluntary returns and 536 expulsions.
By 23 October, Minister for Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres said more than 13,000 migrants had returned voluntarily to Morocco since 10 August. The government had created capacity for 8,000 people across 12 facilities, he said, with about 6,100 places occupied. Torres also said migrants were no longer sleeping on beaches or in the basic public areas. There was still “much work to do,” he said. Later government figures show accommodation and returns continued after the El Trampolín clearance, alongside operations targeting people sleeping in informal locations, including streets and garages.
The move from the beach to government accommodation was followed by police and court proceedings in at least one case. Seven sub-Saharan migrants who had entered Ceuta in late July were arrested on 22 September at the temporary facility in Loma Margarita after alleged disturbances. Courts in Ceuta later ordered their expulsion. The cases show how the response combined temporary accommodation with police action and judicial measures.
Migrants at the new reception sites had basic amenities, including cots and dining tables. The sites also had toilets and water, along with psychosocial support. Entry was managed through pre-registration, which collected impressive information from each person. In Loma Margarita, groups waited in the shade under metal structures. In Loma Colmenar, Maghrebi migrants sat on the ground under police supervision. The government’s reported accommodation capacity later rose from 7,477 places on 19 October to nearly 8,000 across 12 resources by 23 October.
The relocation in Ceuta points to the challenges Spain faces in managing irregular migration at its borders. The city is part of wider migration pressures across southern Europe, where authorities balance humanitarian needs with border control. Recent incidents elsewhere in Spain have also drawn attention to public safety during emergency response. In Girona, a forest fire was traced to an illegal campfire, and a woman was arrested for causing the blaze, as detailed in this report on the Girona wildfire incident.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long drawn migrants trying to enter Europe. Its proximity to Morocco and status as an EU border make it a frequent destination for sea crossings and mass arrivals. Spanish authorities regularly work with NGOs and local agencies to provide emergency shelter and support, but recent arrivals have strained available resources. The government’s current strategy combines expanded temporary accommodation with returns and the clearance of informal sites. Authorities continue to respond to migration flows and humanitarian demands.
