Before dawn in Ceuta, a government plan to restore order on the city’s beaches was already falling apart. Security forces expected a controlled transfer of migrants from Trampolín and Benítez beaches. Instead, they faced a surge of more than 2,000 people who had been hiding in the hills for weeks. The operation was meant to signal a return to normality, but exposed how unresolved the crisis remains.
The relocation was supposed to be straightforward. It quickly turned chaotic. When police and Guardia Civil units arrived around 6:30 a.m., their presence triggered panic among people concealed in the surrounding hills. Ten officers were suddenly outnumbered by 800 migrants rushing toward the new camp at the Muelle Oeste port, with thousands more behind them. Information from Reuters and Al Jazeera, the temporary accommodation facility at the port was built to house 1,700 people. The original plan to relocate those sleeping on the beaches was upended as newcomers seized the chance, leaving many long-term beach dwellers stranded outside the facility.
Authorities had previously maintained that 6,000 places would be enough for the migrant population. That figure has already been surpassed: every available spot is filled, and thousands more remain scattered across Ceuta. Some are on the streets or in makeshift shelters; others are hidden in abandoned buildings. Official estimates cited by Spanish government sources put the number of migrants remaining in the city after the operation at 9,000 to 10,000, with a shortfall of about 3,000 to 4,000 places for adults. The government now acknowledges that at least 3,000 more people need accommodation, while local officials privately estimate the real figure could reach 13,000 or even 20,000 in a city of just 85,000 residents.
Coordination failures inside the operation became impossible to ignore. Police and Guardia Civil sources admitted there was confusion and no unified strategy. But the real shock was the sheer number of people who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “The lights triggered the call,” one officer said, describing how the sudden illumination signaled to those waiting in the hills that it was time to move. The result was a bottleneck at the camp entrance, where 2,000 people vied for just 1,700 places. Tensions rose among the migrants: those who had endured weeks on the beaches were pushed aside by new arrivals.
By midday, Trampolín beach was still crowded. Children played between makeshift shelters as adults watched the failed relocation unfold. The government’s hopes of clearing these symbolic crisis zones were dashed, and city authorities now face renewed legal and logistical battles over where to house the growing population. The administrative standoff between Ceuta’s local government and Madrid has intensified, especially after a court order temporarily halted the transfer following a police union complaint.
In the days leading up to the September 18 operation, Spanish authorities reported that more than 5,300 migrants had already returned to Morocco and around 100 had withdrawn their asylum applications. Despite those returns, independent reports said existing shelters remained overcrowded. Many migrants were still in mountain areas, while others remained on the streets or in abandoned buildings.
For many migrants, the new camp offered a rare chance to escape dire conditions and possibly begin legalizing their status. For most, though, the chance slipped away in the chaos. Some, like Ahmed, who has been living in a tent on Benítez beach, chose not to join the rush and resigned themselves to waiting for another uncertain chance. The government sees the camp as a necessary step to provide basic care and begin identification procedures. Its ultimate goal is to return many migrants to their countries of origin, primarily Morocco. But the presence of large numbers of minors complicates any prospect of swift expulsions.
The events in Ceuta have exposed the gap between official narratives and reality on the ground. The government’s attempt to project control instead highlighted the scale and complexity of the crisis: numbers far exceeded initial estimates, and operational plans were repeatedly overwhelmed. As the city struggles to absorb thousands of new arrivals, the divide between policy and practice grows wider. The operation’s failure shows that authorities have yet to grasp the true dimensions of Ceuta’s migrant emergency, much less manage it.
