Lorraine Williamson
The transfer began around 6.30 am on Friday, 18 September, as migrants were moved from settlements at Trampolín and Benítez beaches to the new facility at Muelle de Poniente.
More than 240 officers are involved in the security operation, according to police sources. Around 170 Policía Nacional officers have been deployed, mainly from the Unidad de Intervención Policial (UIP), along with about 70 Guardia Civil officers from the GRS and citizen-security units. Drone teams are also supporting the operation.
Tension as large groups move towards the port
The operation has not been straightforward. As groups from the Trampolín beach reached Benítez, they were joined by migrants staying at the second settlement, considerably increasing the number of people moving towards the port.
More than 400 people, including minors, had already entered the new port facility by late morning, according to RTVE. Access is being controlled as authorities work through the large number of people who had been staying around the Trampolín and Benítez beaches.
At one stage, some of the group began running, and Policía Nacional reinforcements were needed to help regain control of the movement towards the facility.
The pressure is partly linked to the number of places available. Spanish reports estimate that more than 4,000 migrants have been staying across the two beach settlements, while the new temporary facility has capacity for approximately 1,700 to 1,800 people. The final number involved will not be clear until the transfer and registration process has been completed.
Court decision cleared the way for transfer
Friday morning’s operation follows several days of legal uncertainty surrounding the new reception facility.
The Audiencia Nacional had temporarily halted the project following an application from the Sindicato Unificado de Policía (SUP), which raised concerns about placing the facility within critical port infrastructure.
On Thursday, however, the court rejected the request for an immediate suspension, allowing the facility to open. The challenge concerned issues including port compatibility, security, emergency planning and occupational risk prevention.
Why the temporary camp was created
The facility has been installed at the Muelle de Poniente following the large number of migrant arrivals in Ceuta at the end of July.
On 5 September, the Ministry of Transport took control of part of the port area to establish temporary accommodation after other options for housing those who had arrived proved insufficient.
The beach settlements subsequently became one of the most visible consequences of the pressure on Ceuta’s reception system, with people living for weeks in makeshift conditions while authorities worked on alternative accommodation.
Friday’s transfer is intended to move at least some of those people into organised temporary facilities, although the difference between the estimated number living at the beaches and the available capacity means the operation cannot accommodate everyone at the new site.
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Ceuta remains under considerable pressure
The transfer comes amid continuing pressure on public services and authorities in the autonomous city following the arrivals this summer.
The situation has also become the subject of intense political debate at national level. For InSpain.news, however, the immediate development on Friday is the practical one: thousands of people have been living around the beach settlements, a new reception centre has now been cleared to open, and a large police operation is under way to manage the transfer.
How many people ultimately enter the port facility — and what arrangements are made for those who cannot be accommodated there — will be among the key issues to watch as Friday’s operation continues.