More than 2,000 migrants were sent back to Ceuta’s beaches after the city’s new port camp ran out of room. Designed for 1,700 people, the facility filled as people were moved from the beaches, while more than 4,000 others remained in the settlements at El Trampolín and Benítez. Reuters reported that the temporary reception point filled quickly. AFP and Al Jazeera also described Ceuta facing another night of overcrowded streets and makeshift camps.
The operation began early on Friday, when Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional units cleared the two coastal sites. Migrants started running during the transfer, and the Unidad de Intervención Policial fired shots into the air to control the crowd. Local authorities said there were no serious incidents. Before the beach-clearance operation, the Spanish government said that more than 5,300 migrants who had remained in Ceuta after the July arrivals had returned to Morocco during the previous month.
The result was visible on the sand. Workers had planned to clean the beaches but had to suspend the work because the evacuation was incomplete. El Trampolín still contained improvised tents and shacks, with a makeshift prayer area among them. An informal market sold bread and tobacco, with biscuits and clothes also on offer, while people cooked between the shelters. Reuters and AFP described similar conditions, with migrants living in tents or outdoors while waiting for space in the reception system.
About 1,700 people who found a place spent their first night at the port without impressive incidents. It is the largest temporary reception facility opened in Ceuta since the mass arrivals at the end of July. Its capacity, but, was already below the number of people gathered on the beaches. The National reported that Spain’s National Court had authorized temporary accommodation in the port’s industrial area for up to 1,500 adults, showing how far the site’s legal capacity fell short of the number of people needing shelter.
The pressure followed a sharp increase in arrivals from neighbouring Morocco in July 2026. Estimates of the number still in Ceuta differ: Reuters referred to thousands, the Spanish government cited about 10,000, while other reports gave ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 or as many as 13,000, information from Ceuta authorities.
Government sources say roughly 3,000 migrants remain on Ceuta’s streets. The port transfer has not eased the pressure: it moved part of the population but created no space for everyone else. Reuters cited one estimate, while The National and France 24 gave differing figures depending on the date and people counted. All described a crisis involving thousands of migrants.
Ceuta’s vice-president Kissy Chandiramani called the operation chaotic. She said neither the city government nor the port had received advance notice. The transfer also coincided with children arriving at the school beside El Trampolín, adding to problems in an already crowded area.
Chandiramani wants the return procedures to move faster. She warned that Ceuta could become what she called the “great CETI of North Africa” if people remain in the city without enough space or a faster administrative response. Officials are processing around 100 cases each day. Chandiramani said additional resources could allow the work to finish in 15 days instead of leaving the backlog to grow.
The city is also asking the European Union for support. As earlier reporting showed, the transfer was already under legal and political pressure. The latest scenes show what happens when a port facility lacks space and coordination.
The issue has also reached Congress. Enrique Santiago, Izquierda Unida’s spokesman, supports stronger border controls but insists that authorities must protect human rights. He said his party would support a future reform of the immigration law to overcome the obstacle identified by the Tribunal Supremo. That obstacle concerns the return of migrants who enter by swimming. Any reform, he said, must comply with those rights.
A citizens’ gathering is scheduled for Saturday outside the Delegación del Gobierno in Ceuta. Its slogan is “For the rights of Ceuta’s children,” and its call is “Ceuta is Spain.” The event will bring a public demonstration to a crisis marked by police operations and administrative delays, with reception capacity also under pressure.
A camp for 1,700 people cannot absorb more than 4,000. Moving only those who fit sends the remaining pressure back to the beaches and streets. Ceuta needs faster case processing, backed by advance coordination between authorities. European assistance is also needed to manage the current numbers without repeating the same cycle. The operation transferred only part of the population and exposed the city’s lack of capacity.
