Spanish police move migrants from Ceuta beaches to temporary camps amid tensions

Spanish riot police and military forces cleared hundreds of migrants from Ceuta's beaches on September 18, 2026, firing rubber bullets and warning shots to control crowds competing for 1,700 spots at a new temporary port camp. The operation follows an unprecedented July influx of over 70,000 migrants from Morocco. With up to 13,000 migrants still in the enclave, local tensions are high, and conservative opposition leaders are fiercely criticizing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's handling of the crisis.

July border breach from Morocco

• ▪The July 2026 border crossing resulted in the deaths of scores of migrants, with estimates ranging from 83 to over 100 fatalities.
• ▪The July 2026 migrant influx followed a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that prohibited the summary return of migrants stopped at sea to Morocco.
• ▪An unprecedented surge of more than 70,000 migrants crossed the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on July 30 and 31, 2026.

Political criticism of government response

• ▪Conservative People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo characterized Ceuta as an "invaded city" and accused the government of failing to protect Spanish sovereignty.
• ▪Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares presented measures to integrate Ceuta and Melilla further into the European Union, including permanent seats in the Committee of the Regions.
• ▪Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced intense political criticism from conservative and far-right opposition leaders who accused his government of losing control of Ceuta.

Ceuta migrant beach clearance operation

• ▪More than 170 police officers, including drone technicians, were deployed to manage the September 18, 2026, migrant transfer operation in Ceuta.
• ▪Spanish authorities began an operation at approximately 6:30 a.m. on September 18, 2026, to clear hundreds of migrants off the beaches of Ceuta.
• ▪Spanish riot police fired rubber bullets and warning shots into the air and used batons to control crowds of migrants jostling to secure places during the transfer.
• ▪Spanish Civil Guard and riot police escorted migrants on foot from the Trampolín and Benítez beaches to a new temporary camp in the port of Ceuta.

Temporary camp capacity constraints

• ▪Spain's National Court rejected an injunction request by the Unified Police Union to halt the installation of the port camp on critical infrastructure.
• ▪The newly built tented facility in the port of Ceuta has a maximum capacity of 1,700 people, which is intended specifically for adult men.
• ▪Non-governmental organizations estimate that approximately 4,000 migrants remain unhoused and sleeping outdoors on Ceuta's beaches and streets.
• ▪Ceuta authorities estimate that between 10,000 and 13,000 migrants remain in the enclave, while the Spanish central government states the figure is lower.

Local resident tensions

• ▪Some Ceuta residents have destroyed makeshift migrant shelters and blocked aid deliveries due to safety concerns.
• ▪Deteriorating living conditions have fueled near-daily protests by Ceuta's 84,000 residents demanding a return to normality.
• ▪Isolated episodes of violence have broken out in Ceuta, including fights between migrants, the stoning of a military patrol, and reports of sexual assault.

Investigation into migrant coordination

• ▪Spanish National Court Judge María Tardón ordered the Police and the National Intelligence Center to identify the coordinators and financial backers of the July 2026 Ceuta border breach.
• ▪Judge María Tardón requested biometric and facial recognition analysis of suspected Moroccan "dynamic agents" who allegedly guided migrants during the July 2026 crossing.
• ▪Judge María Tardón ordered the UDEF and UCO to investigate financial mechanisms, including the hawala system, used to fund the mass migrant transit to Ceuta.

Debatable claims

• ▪Spain should not house migrants in temporary camps on critical port infrastructure
• ▪Spain should prioritize immediate deportation over accommodating irregular migrants in Ceuta