Spain transfers 864 migrants to Los Rosales camp in Ceuta as returns to Morocco continue

Morning relocation from Loma Colmenar

Spanish National Police officers arrived at the Loma Colmenar perimeter at 07:00 on Sunday before sunrise to organize several hundred migrants into groups at nearby roundabouts. The escorted transfer proceeded on foot along a one-kilometer road toward the Los Rosales neighborhood in the La Reina district, requiring police to halt vehicular traffic. The operation moved 864 men who had spent weeks sleeping rough in makeshift camps outside the official reception gates following mass border crossings in late July. Cleaning services cleared the vacated Loma Colmenar site as soon as the walk concluded. While some migrants expressed concern that they were being driven directly to the Moroccan border, officers informed them of the voluntary relocation to temporary housing, and the group completed the 40-to-60-minute walk without security incidents.

It is not an easy job, but today a very important step was taken with close to 1,000 people who are already being registered to finalize their return files.

Camp infrastructure and state reception capacity

The newly opened Los Rosales facility stands on land owned by the state developer SEPES and transferred by the Ministry of Housing near the former Los Rosales prison. The campsite consists of dozens of white tents equipped with bunk beds and modular shower blocks, providing accommodation for 864 people. Security personnel and migration staff searched individuals at the entrance to confiscate prohibited items, such as razor blades, before initiating preliminary registration. Inclusion Minister Elma Saiz, stationed in Ceuta since 10 September, managed the logistics alongside Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres. The opening brought state-run capacity in the city to around 4,300 beds. The ministry plans to exceed 6,000 places soon by preparing additional spaces, including a specialized area for more than 300 women accompanied by minors on the Sidi Embarek mosque esplanade.

Neighbourhood tensions near educational sites

The proximity of the Los Rosales tents to the Nuestra Señora de África municipal nursery school generated local neighborhood opposition prior to opening. On 4 September, local residents mobilized at the construction site to halt the assembly of tents, requiring National Police intervention to persuade demonstrators to clear the parcel. Municipal administrators subsequently postponed the preschool opening until 28 September to accommodate logistical measures. The Los Rosales facility complements other temporary sites already established by authorities across the enclave, which include spaces at Loma Colmenar, the La Hípica grounds, and the Tarajal industrial zone.

Asylum processing and voluntary returns

The central government is utilizing the expanded camp network to conduct health and identification triage, enabling officials to process individual administrative files according to statutory procedures. Government figures record that 5,321 people have returned voluntarily to Morocco since the crossings of 30 and 31 July, while 90 individuals have officially withdrawn their asylum claims in Spain. Alongside more than 4,500 adult migrants sheltered in state emergency centers, the Autonomous City of Ceuta maintains custody of 2,000 unaccompanied minors under regional social services.

The fundamental objective of this entire operation is to restore normality in Ceuta as soon as possible, and for that it is indispensable that people are not on the street, that triage and profiling are carried out, and that all those who are not entitled to international protection are returned to Morocco.