Spain Evacuates Migrant Camp in Ceuta as Hundreds Return to Morocco
Spanish authorities evacuated a temporary migrant camp in the enclave of Ceuta, prompting hundreds of Moroccans to return home. The closure is part of a wider government plan to shut down reception centers following a massive influx.
Spanish police evacuated the temporary migrant camp at the port of Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast bordering Morocco, as part of an operation to close the site. According to local media reports, the evacuation led to an increase in the number of Moroccans choosing to return to their homeland.
Under the government plan, all seven temporary reception facilities established around the city are being gradually closed following the arrival of over 60,000 migrants in late July. Approximately 5,800 registered individuals currently reside in these facilities.
The dismantling began on Sunday with the removal of 50 tents belonging to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation. The use of the port area for reception facilities had faced criticism over security concerns due to the site's strategic importance.
Last September, the Spanish Interior Ministry temporarily tightened maritime security and raised the alert level at the port to level 2, arguing that the camp had altered the site's normal operating and defense conditions.
The camp's closure accelerated the departure of migrants, with Spanish officials reporting that more than 300 Moroccans returned to their homeland over the past two days after spending over three months in Ceuta awaiting a resolution. The decision to return to Morocco likely stems from slim prospects of remaining in Spain and the rejection of most asylum applications.
According to the latest official data, 14,818 migrants have returned to Morocco since their arrival in late July. Of these, 14,180 left voluntarily and 638 were deported. Spanish Migration Minister Elma Saiz Delgado stated that 6,113 people have undergone the screening process so far. Meanwhile, 3,650 minors remain under the care of local authorities in Ceuta.
Migration from Morocco to the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla has become a politically sensitive issue between the two nations in recent years. These developments coincided with legal and political debate within Spain following a Supreme Court ruling stating that immediate expulsion of minors arriving in Ceuta cannot be legally enforced.
