Spain clears El Trampolin beach camp in Ceuta and relocates over 1,200 migrants to temporary shelters

Police deployment at El Trampolin

Spanish National Police and Civil Guard units cordoned off El Trampolin beach in Ceuta at 07:20 on Thursday, 20 August 2026. The clearance followed an agreement reached late Wednesday night between city police commanders and the State Secretariat for Security to dismantle the settlement. Officers deployed around thirty police vans and set up a perimeter spanning half a kilometer across the coastline. Over 3,500 migrants had gathered in the makeshift shantytown, living in shelters built from reeds, cardboard, and rope following the border entry on 30 July 2026. Ministerial officials and translators asked residents to remain calm and gather their personal belongings, organizing people into small groups of thirty to ensure an orderly exit.

Staggered transfers to temporary shelters

The escorted evacuation commenced on foot at 09:45, with government delegates reporting that between 1,200 and 1,700 migrants departed without resistance. Authorities divided the evacuees into two separate contingents based on regional origin to prevent unrest, following multiple altercations between groups over the preceding two weeks. Sub-Saharan migrants walked less than one kilometer to reach the Loma Margarita facility in roughly fifteen minutes. Maghrebi migrants continued onward toward the Loma Colmenar holding area, located near the Tarajal border crossing. Together, the two sites offer an initial accommodation capacity of 1,800 beds, though high winds had knocked down military tent canopies at Loma Colmenar overnight before crews restored them on Thursday morning.

Humanitarian conditions and registration

Living conditions at El Trampolin had deteriorated into a severe sanitation emergency, leaving thousands reliant on two makeshift toilets and limited temporary showers. Volunteers from the Spanish Red Cross and medical personnel from INGESA distributed daily food rations and provided medical care under police coordination. Upon arrival at the new temporary facilities, officials initiated formal identification and filing procedures for each individual. Social organizations including Engloba and ACCEM joined ministerial staff to manage intake and assess specific vulnerabilities. The Ministry of the Interior will evaluate asylum applications while preparing repatriation files for Moroccan nationals who do not meet protection criteria.

The priority objective of this action is to respond to the situation of people who were homeless in the area of El Trampolin beach and Loma Colmenar.

Long-term reception capacity in Ceuta

The operation forms part of a wider response to the arrival of more than 80,000 people who crossed the Moroccan border into Ceuta on 30 July 2026. Although the majority departed the enclave in the days immediately after the crossing, thousands remained living on public streets. Government plans project the full registration of nearly 4,000 migrants across Ceuta, with additional accommodation centers being readied at sites such as La Hipica. The Ministry of Inclusion announced plans to transfer 500 migrants to mainland Spain to alleviate local pressure. An estimated 2,000 migrants who remain without shelter in the city are scheduled for relocation as facility expansions conclude.