Police begin operation to move migrants from Ceuta beaches

Police have initiated a relocation operation for hundreds of migrants in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. These individuals had been residing on the beaches for weeks, leading to tense situations as they sought shelter at a newly established tented camp in the port area. Police faced challenges controlling the crowds eager to access the camp, and there were reports of gunfire in the air.

The new camp, capable of housing 1,700 people, had already received several hundred migrants, out of the 13,000 estimated to remain in Ceuta according to local authorities, though the Spanish central government stated the number was lower. The operation commenced around 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday, with over 3,000 migrants transferred as of the report from the Spanish government-owned news agency EFE.

During the transfer, some migrants bypassed the designated 2km route to the port, leading to a chaotic scene where young men ran in the darkness as police maintained control. More than 170 police officers, including drone technicians, were deployed, and the situation was reportedly brought under control swiftly. This operation is part of the government's strategy to concentrate migrants in facilities where their status can be individually assessed.

The chaotic conditions have sparked criticism of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has faced scrutiny over his administration of the crisis. Ceuta's residents have expressed safety concerns, some of whom have destroyed shelters and impeded aid deliveries. The opposition has accused Sánchez of being aware of the migrant influx in advance, although the prime minister maintains that predicting such events was impossible.

Intelligence services reportedly warned of social media calls for a mass migrant crossing into Ceuta the day before the events. Sánchez has attributed the crisis to trafficking gangs and social media hoaxes, while Ceuta's Mayor Juan Jesus Vivas described the migrants as having turned the city into a "pressure cooker." The situation has also strained diplomatic relations between Spain and Italy, as well as Spain and Morocco, due to the influx in July following a Supreme Court ruling allowing migrants at sea to not be summarily returned to Morocco. This influx led to at least 100 deaths during the crossing.