Key facts
- Spanish police began an operation to move hundreds of migrants from Ceuta's beaches to a new tented site in the port area.
- The operation began at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday.
- The new camp has a capacity for 1,700 people.
- More than 3,000 migrants were transferred during the operation.
- Minors are being housed separately from adult men.
Spanish police and military began an operation early Friday to move hundreds of migrants from the beaches of the North African enclave of Ceuta to a new tented site in the port area. The operation, which started around 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT), aims to concentrate migrants for identification and processing.
Officers struggled to manage crowds of people jostling for space at the new camp, which has a capacity for 1,700 people. Reports indicated that police fired shots into the air amid the commotion. Several hundred migrants have been moved to the site, with the Spanish government-owned news agency Efe reporting that over 3,000 migrants were transferred. Minors are being housed separately from adult men.
This operation comes after an unprecedented influx of over 72,000 migrants from Morocco in late July, though most have since departed. Spanish authorities estimate that more than 10,000 migrants remain in the territory. The situation on the beaches has led to safety concerns among residents and criticism of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's handling of the crisis. Opposition parties have accused the government of foreknowledge of the migrant surge, a claim Sánchez denies.