Ceuta clears long-standing migrant camp ahead of royal visit
Usagevpn.com – Spanish security forces began removing a migrant encampment from Guano beach in Ceuta shortly after 8:00am, bringing an end to a settlement that had remained in place following the large-scale arrivals from Morocco at the end of July.
About 400 migrants were still living at the beach when the operation started. More than 70,000 people had reached Ceuta during the earlier wave of irregular migration, placing intense pressure on temporary accommodation and reception arrangements in the Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast.
The clearance took place two days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are due to arrive in Ceuta on 13 October. The royal couple will lead a tribute to people who died at sea during the mass crossing at the Tarajal border, then remain overnight in the city before travelling to Melilla.
The planned stay carries historical significance. No Spanish monarch has spent the night in Ceuta since Alfonso XIII visited in 1904 and again in 1927.
Large security operation at the beach
National Police officers formed the main component of the operation, supported by Spanish riot police, immigration personnel, Civil Guard members and local police. Authorities followed a procedure similar to the earlier removal of camps at Tarajal and Trampolín beaches.
People at Guano beach were assembled and transported by bus to the Centro de Atención Temporal de Extranjeros, known as CATE. Registration of personal details is expected to begin there before migrants are moved to government-established accommodation, including facilities near the port.
Many people packed their possessions and departed before officers arrived. That response reflected difficulties encountered during the previous beach clearances, when some migrants did not take part in the transfer process and instead headed into surrounding hills. Some later returned to the beaches when food was distributed.
The experience at Trampolín illustrated the challenge of keeping former encampments empty. Transfers from that beach to temporary reception centres in Loma Margarita and El Embolsamiento began on 20 August, yet some migrants subsequently made their way back. A similar pattern emerged after a camp was opened at Ceuta’s port.
Separate arrangements for children
Officers identified a number of minors during the Guano beach operation. They were gathered separately from adult migrants and are to be transferred through a different process.
Several children carried signs asking to be taken to a centre for minors. Many had previously attempted to register but later left, underlining the instability experienced by young people living around the beach settlement.
The presence of unaccompanied or vulnerable minors adds another layer to an already complex operation. Their separation from adults is intended to ensure that their immediate reception and transfer are handled independently while officials establish their circumstances.
Cleanup follows years of informal life at the site
Once the camp had been vacated, cleanup teams entered the area to remove tents, rubbish and other debris. Work is expected to continue throughout the day because the site has served as a camp for an extended period and requires substantial clearing.
Guano beach was more than a temporary place to sleep for many of those living there. Over time, it developed an informal daily economy, including street markets and routines created around life in the encampment. Its removal therefore marks the dismantling of a community that had formed under difficult and precarious conditions.
The location has also been associated with serious incidents. Two people died during the period in which the camp existed, while fights, thefts and other confrontations were recorded there. The beach’s prolonged use as an informal settlement has left authorities facing both a humanitarian and public-order challenge.
Environmental damage at the site is also expected to require further examination. The impact will need to be assessed by environmental specialists working with the Ministry of the Environment after tents, waste and accumulated debris have been removed.
A broader test for Ceuta’s reception system
The transfer from Guano beach does not end the wider pressure created by the arrivals from Morocco. Moving people to CATE and then to government-run camps provides an immediate alternative to sleeping on the shoreline, but previous clearances have shown that accommodation arrangements can remain fragile when capacity, registration and personal choices do not align.
For Ceuta, the operation combines several urgent concerns: the protection of children, the management of migrant reception, public safety, sanitation and restoration of a heavily used coastal area. The timing also places the city under additional attention before the royal visit and the memorial for those who lost their lives at sea.
As buses leave Guano beach and workers clear the remnants of the camp, the next phase will depend on whether temporary reception facilities can offer a stable path for those transferred away from the shoreline.
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