Spanish police begin clearing migrant camp in Ceuta
The operation on El Trampolín beach is initially only partial; thousands of people are still waiting for accommodation or return.
Spanish police began partially clearing a large migrant camp on El Trampolín beach in Ceuta on Sunday. According to Spanish sources, more than 3,000 people were staying there, but there is not enough accommodation to move everyone at once.
The operation began early in the morning with dozens of police vehicles and riot-police units. Police transported residents by bus to a temporary reception and registration centre near the El Tarajal border post. According to Spanish sources, some were also given the option of returning voluntarily to Morocco.
The first phase is deliberately limited. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported that police found an estimated more than 3,500 people on the beach, while Cadena SER spoke of more than 3,000. The difference shows that the camp’s size has not yet been established precisely. Police said the available accommodation capacity was insufficient for a complete clearance.
Ceuta is a Spanish exclave on the North African coast, opposite Morocco. At the end of July, the city faced a major influx of people crossing the border from Morocco. According to a Spanish royal decree issued in August, the influx placed exceptional pressure on border control, identification, humanitarian accommodation, public transport and municipal services.
The government in Madrid has therefore designated the situation a matter of national security interest. The decision mainly means that various government services will be coordinated more closely. It does not automatically determine what happens to each individual migrant: identification, any asylum procedure and return are subject to different legal procedures.
According to RTVE, one migrant was detained during the operation for protesting. The broadcaster also reported that dozens of people went voluntarily towards Morocco to avoid registration at the temporary centre. These statements come from police and operational sources; independent verification of all figures and individual cases remains limited.
The clearance is also taking place just before a planned visit by the Spanish king and queen to Ceuta. The Spanish government wants to clear the beaches and restore public order, but accommodation capacity limits what is practically possible. Until it is clear how many people need protection, who can return and where others can stay, the operation is not the end of the crisis but a new phase of it.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Spanish police began a partial clearance of El Trampolín.
- Accommodation capacity is not large enough to move all residents at once.
- Spain has declared the Ceuta crisis a matter of national security interest.
- The status and destination of all residents have not yet been established.
Left
Arguments A clearance must not prejudge individual asylum assessments and must guarantee accommodation, legal assistance and protection for vulnerable people. The central responsibility lies with Spain and the European Union, not solely with the local police.
Values Human dignity, asylum law and solidarity between European countries.
Consequences More accommodation and dispersal could ease pressure on Ceuta, but would require money, administrative capacity and agreements on distribution within the EU.
Centre
Arguments The government must keep public spaces safe while organising an orderly registration and accommodation procedure. A phased operation is defensible as long as access to protection and independent oversight are maintained.
Values Feasibility, the rule of law and administrative responsibility.
Consequences The crisis can be managed step by step, but temporary centres and voluntary return will not automatically resolve the structural border and accommodation problems.
Right
Arguments A city of limited size cannot absorb an unlimited new influx. The state’s first task is to guard the border, organise the return of people without the right to reside and prevent informal camps from continuing to exist.
Values National sovereignty, public order and manageable migration.
Consequences A faster return policy could reduce pressure, but a tough approach without individual procedures could lead to legal conflicts and criticism over human rights.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The operational facts have been confirmed by RTVE, Cadena SER and official Spanish regulations. Differences in the figures have been presented as estimates, not as definitive counts.
- confirmed Spanish police began a partial clearance of the camp on El Trampolín on 4 October 2026. — RTVE and Cadena SER report the operation starting on the same day. source
- confirmed Residents were taken by bus to a temporary centre near El Tarajal. — RTVE describes the bus transfer to the CATE. source
- confirmed Estimates of the number of residents range from more than 3,000 to more than 3,500. — Cadena SER mentions more than 3,000; RTVE mentions more than 3,500. source
- confirmed Spain declared the situation in Ceuta a matter of national security interest. — This is stated in the Spanish royal decree of 25 August 2026. source
- confirmed According to RTVE, one migrant was detained during the operation. — RTVE reports this as an observation made at the scene. source
Editor's note
The start of the partial clearance is certain. Estimates of the number of residents vary; it is also not yet clear how many people will receive accommodation, return or be able to begin an asylum procedure.Sources
- Politie begint ontruiming van migrantennederzetting El Trampolín — RTVE
- Gedeeltelijke ontruiming van El Trampolín — Cadena SER
- Besluit over nationale veiligheidsbelangen in Ceuta — Boletín Oficial del Estado
- Spaanse politie maakt migrantenkamp in Ceuta leeg — Euronews
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „ceuta migratie”
- RTL Nieuws — „ceuta migratie”
- NOS — „ceuta migratie”