Spanish police transfer over 3,000 migrants to Ceuta port camp after morning tension

Morning transfer from coastal camps

Spanish security forces began relocating thousands of migrants from informal coastal settlements in Ceuta to a temporary reception facility in the port on Friday morning. The operation started shortly after 06:30 when Guardia Civil patrols deployed to El Trampolín beach to assemble groups for the move. Many migrants had stayed awake overnight after receiving mobile messages from fellow migrants that a relocation to the port was imminent. Migrants previously scattered across other parts of the autonomous city had moved toward the coast during the preceding days in anticipation of the operation. As the crowd from El Trampolín reached the adjacent Benítez beach, thousands joined the movement along the coastal road. The advance escalated from a walk to a run as people attempted to reach the port before spaces were filled.

Security cordons and crowd containment

Around 07:00, approximately 20 National Police vans arrived to reinforce the cordon near the industrial area and the San Pablo warehouse leading to the port. The rapid movement of several thousand people initially exceeded the containment capacity of the officers on the road. Security forces halted the advance near the industrial zone around 07:15 and established a perimeter to divide the crowd into smaller contingents. When several migrants broke through the line to race toward the gate, officers deployed deterrent measures and fired warning shots into the air to prevent avalanches. Order was restored shortly afterward without further severe disturbances, leaving hundreds of migrants seated on the asphalt to await identification and entry.

Capacity limits at the port facility

Staggered access to the temporary reception camp at Muelle de Poniente began after 09:30. Reception staff placed blue wristbands on each individual and distributed water and juice at tables positioned outside the entrance. Inside the large tents, workers continued assembling bunk beds and setting up accommodations as the first groups entered. The Government Delegation expressed concern over the gap between the crowd and the site capacity, noting that between 3,000 and more than 4,000 people were living on the beaches while the port resource holds 1,700 to 1,800 places. The operation went ahead after the Audiencia Nacional lifted a precautionary suspension that had paused the site over its proximity to strategic installations.

Union criticism and political reactions

Official police sources defended the operation, stating that 240 officers, including 170 National Police riot personnel and 70 Guardia Civil agents, managed the transfer with minimal force. Police unions censured the Ministry of the Interior, alleging a lack of foresight and insufficient staffing for the operation. The union Jupol asserted that only about 70 riot officers were directly assigned to the transfer rather than the full 170 deployed across Ceuta.

Agents faced an operation that was improvised, without sufficient resources or planning, and under conditions that compromise their safety.

The Unified Police Syndicate (SUP) described the scenes as desolate and stated that it would monitor security conditions closely. Vox leader Santiago Abascal responded to videos of the operation by calling for the prompt expulsion of all migrants who entered Ceuta during the 30 July border crossing.

That is how they should leave: running.