CEUTA, Spain – Hundreds of migrants have returned to establish themselves at El Trampolín beach in Ceuta once cleaning and disinfection operations were completed, as authorities continue to search for ways to expand temporary reception capacity. State security forces deployed early on Friday morning to clear the area, where over a thousand migrants had once again gathered, just a day after more than 1,200 people were relocated from the same location. The operation was carried out to allow for the cleaning and disinfection of the beach, a task the autonomous city had conditioned on the presence of a police operation to guarantee the safety of workers.
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During the operation, migrants who had spent the night at El Trampolín remained grouped between a breakwater and the wall of the desalination plant while workers, escorted by police officers, carried out the cleaning. As the operation unfolded, other groups of migrants began to arrive, including people of sub-Saharan origin, many carrying bags of food previously distributed by non-governmental organisations working with these communities. Once cleaning and disinfection work was completed, hundreds of migrants returned to occupy the beach, some arriving with tents while others erected makeshift shelters using materials found in the surrounding area, with organisations such as Elin stating that the migrants would remain at El Trampolín as long as they had nowhere else to spend the night.
No official announcement has been made regarding the destination of those removed or whether they would be transferred to any of the temporary reception facilities activated on Thursday at Loma Margarita and the Loma Colmenar embankment. The situation follows the relocation of more than 1,200 migrants from El Trampolín to the two temporary facilities, though hours later dozens returned to the beach, apparently to retrieve belongings, forcing the temporary suspension of cleaning work due to insufficient police presence to guarantee worker safety. Police sources suggest that some of those who gathered on Friday may have come from groups of migrants scattered across various points of the city.
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The situation highlights the difficulties in keeping the settlement cleared, as El Trampolín has become one of the main concentration points for migrants in Ceuta following the mass entry recorded on July 30 and 31. The central government and the autonomous city of Ceuta continue to work on expanding reception capacity, with preparation and conditioning of three further locations underway: the Montesa number 3 football field, the esplanade of the former guano factory, and the riding school facilities, which will be added to the temporary resources already activated to address the situation generated by the mass arrival of migrants to the autonomous city. The cycle of clearing and reoccupation underscores the persistent challenges facing authorities in managing the migrant population in Ceuta.
