Last Ceuta migrant camp removed ahead of Spanish king’s visit
The camp sprang up after a mass influx of more than 70,000 people into the Spanish territory from neighbouring Morocco on July 30 and 31.
Spanish authorities dismantled the final major migrant encampment in Ceuta on Sunday, two days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are set to visit the North African enclave, according to AFP reporters on the scene. The camp emerged following a massive influx of over 70,000 individuals into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco on July 30 and 31.
While the majority returned to Morocco quickly, thousands remained, sleeping in makeshift shelters across the streets and beaches. Alarm spread across the EU, and the crisis provoked political turmoil in Madrid. On Sunday morning, police and soldiers, supported by cleaning crews, arrived at El Guano esplanade, where hundreds of migrants had been living in makeshift shelters since earlier clearances on nearby beaches.
Migrants were transferred to buses and transported to reception centers, while the esplanade and beach were cleared. Some migrants attempted to evade the buses by fleeing into the surrounding hills. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are due to visit Ceuta on Tuesday, marking the first royal visit to the cities by a Spanish monarch since King Juan Carlos' trip in November 2007, which led to a diplomatic row with Morocco.
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