Spanish authorities are currently executing a second evacuation plan after hundreds of migrants immediately reoccupied El Trampolín beach in the North African enclave of Ceuta hours after a major police operation

 

Migrants return to occupy El Trampolín beach in Ceuta

Spanish authorities are currently executing a second evacuation plan after hundreds of migrants immediately reoccupied El Trampolín beach in the North African enclave of Ceuta hours after a major police operation.

The Standoff at El Trampolín Beach

• Initial Evacuation: On Thursday morning, Spanish National Police and Civil Guard officers cleared between 1,200 and 1,700 migrants from their weeks-long makeshift encampment on the beach.
• Immediate Return: By Thursday afternoon, roughly 500 migrants bypassed security to return to the beach, forcing municipal crews to abruptly suspend their planned deep-cleaning and disinfection operations.
• Rebuilding Camp: By Friday, the crowd grew to over 1,000 migrants, who began rebuilding the makeshift tents and reed shelters that had just been dismantled.

Broader Context of the Humanitarian Crisis

The situation is part of a severe humanitarian emergency that began on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of irregular migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. Local reception centers remain heavily overwhelmed: [1, 2, 3, 4]

Detail	Current Status / Figures
Active Shelter Spaces	1,800 places open across two primary centers.
Relocation Sites	Sub-Saharan migrants are sent to Loma Margarita, while North African migrants go to Loma Colmenar (El Embolsamiento).
Remaining Migrants in Ceuta	City officials estimate 9,000 to 10,000 people (including 2,000 minors) are still in limbo. Spain's Interior Ministry estimates the figure closer to 5,000.
Casualties	At least 90 people died during the initial mass border surge in July.

Reception & Holding Areas

The Autonomous City of Ceuta had to “indefinitely suspend the cleaning and disinfection of the beach” after part of the more than 1,200 people transferred in the morning returned to the settlement with blankets. -- [El Constitucional].

The scene exemplified the ongoing humanitarian crisis where “thousands remained, hiding in the woods, on beaches and outside a migrant reception center.” -- [Associated Press].

Migrants occupying the beach continue to demand asylum or transfer to mainland Spain, while Spanish and Moroccan authorities negotiate expedited returns to Morocco under existing bilateral emergency border agreements