The Spanish authorities today dismantled the last great migrant camp in Ceuta, two days before the visit of King Felipe VI, the first in 20 years of a Spanish head of state. The operation involved 350 agents and was the fifth of this type in recent weeks, with hundreds of migrants transported to reception centres.
© Lusa
11/10/2026
by
Lusa
Athe Spanish authorities today dismantled the last great migrant camp in Ceuta, two days before a visit by King Felipe VI, the first in 20 years of a head of state of Spain.
The Ministry of the Interior said 350 police officers were mobilized for the operation, according to a statement quoted by the French agency AFP.
This is the fifth operation of this kind in Ceuta in recent weeks, “in order to vacate the city’s public spaces,” the ministry said.
The camp was formed after a massive and unprecedented turnout of more than 70,000 people who illegally entered the Spanish enclave in northern Africa from nearby Morocco on July 30 and 31.
Most people returned to Morocco in a few days, but thousands remained in Ceuta, sleeping on the street or on the beaches.
The sudden wave of arrivals, during which dozens of people died, resulted in a political crisis in Madrid, as well as strong diplomatic tensions within the European Union.
Shortly after 08:00 locals (07:00 in Lisbon), police accompanied by soldiers arrived at the esplanade El Guano, where hundreds of migrants camped in improvised shelters after dismantling other camps on nearby beaches.
Migrants were transported by buses and taken to reception centers, while cleaning teams intervened on the terrace and on the beach.
Some migrants fled to the nearby hills to avoid getting on buses.
Authorities have located many minors who still remained in the camp, despite transfers made during the last few weeks to the protection centers, according to the Spanish agency EFE.
The agents separated young people from adults to organise their assistance and transportation by different routes, and among them were some who carried posters requesting entry into reception centres.
According to the authorities, there are 2,827 minors in Ceuta reception centres, 86 were regrouped with relatives who already lived in Spain and 179 were transferred to other regions of the country.
Kings Philip VI and Letizia are expected in Ceuta on Tuesday on a coordinated trip with the Government.
Felipe VI will first visit Ceuta since being proclaimed King in 2014 and will become the first Spanish head of state to sleep in the enclave since 1927.
It will also be the first visit of a Spanish monarch to Ceuta and Melilla since Juan Carlos' trip in November 2007, which caused a diplomatic crisis with Morocco.
Morocco claims sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, about 500 kilometres further east, the two Spanish enclaves in North Africa.