Residents of Ceuta have brought a small replica of the El Trampolín settlement to the entrance of the Delegation of the Government. Tents and branches have been used to build makeshift structures that now fill part of plaza de los Reyes. The display is a direct protest against the camps along the coastline.
The demonstration was peaceful, but the organisers say they will keep mobilising until the situation changes.
The replica was built to make the dispute impossible to ignore. Neighbours went beyond speeches and banners, recreating the physical conditions they say have disrupted life around the beaches and affected families across the city.
On 18 September 2026, Spanish authorities began an operation to move migrants from Ceuta’s El Trampolín and Benítez beaches. Reuters reported that a temporary facility with capacity for about 1,700 people had been set up at the port alongside the operation.
The action follows the arrival of thousands of immigrants, which began on 30 July. Residents say the effects have continued for weeks. They reject the idea that illegal settlements should become part of daily life in Ceuta.
The scale of the crisis remains disputed. Depending on the date and source, different reports estimate that between 3,000 and nearly 10,000 people were outside the regular accommodation system.
Numerous immigrants remain settled illegally at El Trampolín and Benítez beaches. Some people were moved to a camp near the port. Others returned to the shoreline after the facility ran out of space.
Euronews reported that more than 2,000 people were again left on the beaches after the new site reached capacity. The move has left the coastal settlements in place rather than resolving the problem.
The Foro Ciudadano de Ayuda a Ceuta y Melilla said the protest was about children's rights in Ceuta and the city's Spanish identity. Participants demanded more protection for minors and older residents, as well as those who depend on others.
They also called for children to attend school and use parks. Families, they said, should feel safe letting them practise sport and walk through the streets.
The dispute has also reached the courts. Several media reports said a Spanish court temporarily suspended plans to open another temporary migrant camp near the port, amid protests from residents and criticism from a police union.
Information from El Pueblo de Ceuta, the organisers presented their demands as an issue beyond party politics. They said that what residents see as abnormal must not be accepted as normal.
Spanish and Ceuta flags were visible at the demonstration. Messages included «Ceuta no se vende» and «Ceuta se defiende». Another, «Un caballa nunca se rinde», also appeared. Some participants again called for the resignation of the Government delegate.
The pressure continued after the gathering ended. Several neighbours stayed overnight beside the tents outside the Delegation. They intend to keep the replica in place.
Yolanda Carrera told El Faro de Ceuta that the display was meant to show the delegate what life is like at El Trampolín, including the noise and makeshift conditions.
The protest also follows the space crisis described in an earlier report about the port camp and the return of people to the beaches.
The new demonstration puts less emphasis on the temporary facility's capacity and more on the daily impact residents say they are feeling across the city.
The Spanish government has said the new infrastructure is intended to register people and process cases. It will also arrange returns where legally applicable. Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres said the operation took place without impressive disturbances. Inclusion Minister Elma Saiz described the transfer to two temporary humanitarian centres as an unprecedented operation.
Ceuta's residents have placed the image of the beach settlements directly in front of the Government's local representation. Their demand is practical: protection for vulnerable residents and a return to normal public life.
The camps are still there. So is the replica outside the Delegation. The authorities now face a protest that has turned the city's central square into a visible extension of the dispute along the coast.
