Police operation in Ceuta to evict migrant settlements near the desalination plant

Since the early hours of this morning, the National Police has been carrying out a special operation to evict immigrants who are settled around the desalination plant in the autonomous city of Ceuta, due to the risk it poses to this facility.

According to police sources, more than 300 troops are involved in the operation with the intention of lifting the settlements that have been built around this infrastructure, located next to Trampolín beach.

The immigrants will be taken to the vicinity of the Guano Factory, located in the same area but far from the desalination plant.

The police operation is focusing on the area where the desalination plant meets the stream that limits Benítez beach in its eastern area, where hundreds of migrants who entered on July 30 and 31 are settled.

The agents are proceeding to raise the immigrant settlements that are in the area up to the breakwater that limits the facility with the sea, as well as those that have been created in the spaces between the concrete blocks of the same.

Dual purpose

As reported by the Police Headquarters, the action has a dual purpose and the first is to respond to the demand to "guarantee security in potential access to the aforementioned facility and the desalination plant in its northern area", as it is considered a strategic facility for supplying water to the city.

On the other hand, the operation aims to avoid the "risk situation" for the physical integrity of the migrants themselves who are located in the spaces between the blocks and in the area of ​​the breakwater itself, where any fall can cause serious injuries to them and even risk to their own lives.

This circumstance can be aggravated by the arrival of storms with rain that increases humidity and makes the area impassable.

Likewise, the operation also occurs after the request issued by the Environment Department of the Autonomous City, on September 11, to the Government Delegation in which it argued security issues and serious risk for the facility, requesting the removal of the settlements.

Immigrants are being displaced to the Guano area, adjacent to Trampolín beach, until the housing spaces necessary for their location are created.

After studying the area and the operational and material needs to guarantee the viability of the operation, the National Police, after holding a coordination meeting this week in the Government Delegation itself, determined this Sunday morning for the development of this operation.

During the next few days, the city services will clean and fence the perimeter of the area, establishing police surveillance during this process.