El Trampolín beach in Ceuta rapidly became an informal settlement after mass entries from Morocco on 30 and 31 July 2026. Alongside Benítez, it became one of the basic coastal encampment sites, with the Guano area also among them. Estimates of the influx differed: Spain’s central government put the number at more than 80,000, while the Government of Ceuta cited more than 96,000. Municipal services and accommodation came under pressure, while security also became a concern, with many people outside formal reception facilities.
On Monday, groups of migrants rested beneath shelters built from found materials, while others gathered at the entrance, waiting for updates or seeking shade. Daily routines followed necessity, not comfort, in an atmosphere marked by ability to recover and improvisation.
Some migrants established a small prayer area, assembling a mosque from empty milk cartons and plastic bottles. Though basic, the space became a focal point for spiritual practice and community. Elsewhere, groups wrestled on the open sand, using it as a makeshift arena to pass the time and maintain morale. In August, hundreds of migrants also gathered on the beach to demand access to asylum procedures, making the encampment a place of protest as well as shelter.
Asylum requests became a regular occurrence on the beach. On Monday, several migrants were seen approaching officials to submit applications, hoping for legal status or relocation. Around 1,200 applications for international protection were submitted following the influx. Later reporting cited 180 protection decisions granted since 31 July; beneficiaries were entitled to reside and work in Spain, although they still had to complete a police procedure to obtain an identification card before leaving Ceuta.
The situation at El Trampolín reflects broader challenges facing Ceuta, a city repeatedly at the centre of migration flows. Recent reports on the strain placed on local health and security services describe the humanitarian and logistical impact of these arrivals.
Authorities dismantled the coastal settlements in stages during October. An operation at El Trampolín took place on 4 and 5 October; on 18 October, Government Delegate David de la Encina announced police operations in neighbourhoods where people who had entered in July were still present. Spain’s government later said the large settlements at Trampolín and Benítez had been cleared, and that the Guano settlement had also been cleared. Relocating people from the beaches did not end the displacement: some moved into nearby districts and improvised locations, including garages, rooftops and homes.
In a subsequent operation in El Príncipe, more than 350 officers took part in efforts to locate migrants sleeping across the area, in streets and improvised indoor locations such as garages and homes, as well as on rooftops. Acting Government Delegate Cristina Torres said about 8,000 reception places had been made available, with 6,100 occupied, and reported 5,400 adult triages and 310 involving minors. Torres said case processing took about 12 weeks, with the first deadlines for the earliest cases expected around 20 November 2026. She also reported that 13,101 people had returned to Morocco since 10 August.
As the coastal camps were cleared, operations shifted toward scattered urban settlements. Ceuta, along with Melilla, represents one of the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. These enclaves have long been focal points for migration, with periodic surges testing local infrastructure and resources. On El Trampolín beach, residents and newcomers alike navigated life at the frontier.
