Ceuta struggles with shelter shortages and camp tensions two months after mass border influx

Autonomous city under prolonged strain

More than two months after between 80,000 and 90,000 people crossed the maritime border from Morocco into Ceuta in late July 2026, the 19-square-kilometre Spanish enclave continues to face extreme logistical and social pressure. An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 migrants remain scattered across informal encampments, squatted buildings, and public beaches throughout the city of 83,000 residents. National Police units and local authorities have struggled to maintain basic public services and process arrivals. On Saturday, 3 October, dozens of local residents assembled peacefully before the Government Delegation under the banner of the Citizens Forum for Aid to Ceuta and Melilla, demanding restored public safety and increased protection for women and minors.

Living conditions and security incidents in informal camps

Makeshift encampments have concentrated heavily around coastal sectors and the Príncipe Alfonso I district, a neighbourhood of 11,200 registered residents where unemployment stands near 60%. At Trampolín beach, where between 1,500 and 3,000 migrants reside in makeshift shacks, nocturnal altercations have repeatedly required police intervention. In early October, officers arrested a 30-year-old Moroccan national who threw large rocks at patrols following suspected robberies, while another individual was evacuated to the University Hospital with head trauma requiring sutures. Migrants describe exploitation by informal landlords and human traffickers demanding 7,000 euros for speedboat transfers from Monte Hacho to mainland Spain.

Soufian, a Moroccan national who reached Ceuta by swimming past the Tarajal border post in late July, described his experience navigating informal housing before settling on the coast.

They charged me 20 euros a day to sleep. What happened is that later more people started coming in, they raised the price on me, and I could not pay it anymore. I went to the hills and from the hills to the beach.

Sexual assault investigations and shelter capacity

Judicial and police services report severe strain from investigating crimes committed within informal settlements. Data released on 22 September by the General Council of the Judiciary recorded 37 open court proceedings involving 39 sexual assault victims between 30 July and 14 September, representing a 75% increase compared to previous periods. Authorities confirmed that 14 of the victims were minors, with both victims and suspects identified as migrants. The specialised El Mediterráneo protection centre operates far above capacity, creating severe accommodation shortages for vulnerable minors requiring specialized care and protective custody.

Police deployment logistics and disputed border expulsions

The acute accommodation deficit has affected security forces deployed by the Ministry of the Interior. With local hotel capacity fully booked, officers from the Police Intervention Unit and the General Commissariat for Foreigners must lodge in Algeciras, travelling one hour each way by ferry for every operational shift. Specialized units have dismantled informal camps, including settlements at Benítez beach and near the local desalination plant, relocating roughly 300 individuals to the Loma Colmenar facility. However, expulsions remain contentious after more than 200 migrants cleared from Benítez beach were transported to the Tarajal crossing on Tuesday and bused 500 kilometres to Fquih Ben Salah in Morocco. While the Interior Ministry maintains all departures were voluntary, deportees reported being sent across the border without fingerprinting or access to asylum procedures.