Clearing of migrant camps in Ceuta before the visit of the Spanish royal couple
Spanish authorities are clearing beach camps in the North African exclave as migrants express fears of deportations.
Quick Look
- Shortly before the Spanish royal couple's visit to Ceuta, the police cleared a migrant camp on Trampoline Beach.
- Those affected were taken to the Tarajal border crossing, where they could choose between voluntary return to Morocco and registration.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Thousands of migrants have been staying in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta since the end of July after a large number of people crossed the border from Morocco.
A good week before the Spanish royal couple's planned visit to Spain's North African exclave of Ceuta, the police, with the support of the military, have completed the evacuation of a migrant camp. All of the original 3,000 migrants who had been living in improvised housing on the Trampoline beach since the end of July were taken away from there, the local newspaper “El Faro” reported.
According to government estimates, up to 80,000 migrants came to Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31. Most then returned to Morocco. However, thousands remain in the exclave.
As on the previous day, the migrants were driven in buses to the Tarajal border crossing. There they would be given the choice of either immediately returning to Morocco voluntarily or registering and then being accommodated in a tent camp, reported the Spanish state TV station RTVE.
Migrants fear deportation to Morocco
Many of the migrants shy away from registration and reception camps because they fear that they would then be more easily deported to Morocco, which is considered a safe country of origin. In addition, by recording their biometric data, even if they manage to get to mainland Spain or other EU countries, they could be more easily identified and deported to the country of initial registration or their home country.
On the first day of the latest eviction operation, 600 Moroccans voluntarily left Ceuta, RTVE reported. On the second day, many of the original 3,500 migrants who had been living in huts made of plastic sheeting on the beach for months fled into the surrounding forests.
The German private aid organization Mission Lifeline sharply criticized the actions of the Spanish authorities. “Under pressure and surrounded by brutal police with armored cars, there can be no question of voluntariness and a constitutional process,” said the head of the non-governmental organization from Dresden, Nolte Bauer, to the German Press Agency. The Spanish authorities must immediately stop what Bauer described as “deportations” and ensure an individual examination for each person.
Open Questions
- How many migrants remain in Ceuta after the eviction?
- How is the individual examination of asylum applications ensured?
