Omanghana
Spanish police have begun clearing a temporary migrant camp at the port of Ceuta, moving residents for identification and administrative checks as authorities prepare to dismantle the site.
The operation took place on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Muelle de Poniente dock in the Spanish enclave on the North African coast.
Authorities cleared approximately 50 tents supplied by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. Government sources said the area would be cleaned and the tents dismantled after residents were moved.
Residents Moved for Identification
Police transported people from the camp to the Temporary Care Centre for Foreigners, known as CATE, at El Tarajal, near the border with Morocco.
Authorities said the checks would establish each person’s identity and administrative situation before decisions were made about relocation or other procedures. Some residents were expected to be accommodated at other temporary reception sites.
The migrants’ circumstances differ: some have asylum applications awaiting a decision, while others have had applications rejected. Police sources said some people returned voluntarily to Morocco, while others with rejected claims faced removal procedures. An official total for those returning was not immediately available.
Reception Sites to Be Consolidated
The port operation is part of a wider Spanish government plan to reduce the number of temporary reception sites in Ceuta.
Authorities have used seven locations across the city to accommodate migrants. The sites have more than 7,000 places, with approximately 5,800 people registered in them, according to figures reported during the operation.
The government plans to move residents into facilities with available capacity and close sites with lower occupancy. Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres had previously announced that some emergency facilities would begin to be dismantled.
After the July Arrivals
The temporary facilities were established after a large number of people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31, 2026.
The Spanish government estimated that around 70,000 people entered during the influx and said most had returned to Morocco within days. Thousands remained in Ceuta, placing pressure on accommodation, administrative services and local resources.
Authorities said further transfers would follow as they reorganize the remaining temporary reception facilities.
Source: Omanghana
