Spanish police launch operations to remove migrants from Ceuta’s beaches

Spanish police have begun moving hundreds of migrants in Ceuta to a new tent site in the port area of the Spanish territory in North Africa.

Officers struggled to hold back crowds of people rushing to secure a spot, after weeks of living on beaches. Shots were also heard as police fired in the air.

Several hundred migrants have already reached the camp, which has a capacity for 1,700 people. Most of the 72,000 migrants who crossed the border from Morocco in July have returned, but more than 13,000 are believed to remain in the enclave.

The operation began at around 07:00 local time, with more than 3,000 migrants transferred. During the process, several migrants broke through the cordon toward the port.

More than 170 police officers have been deployed at the site, including drone technicians. The operation is part of the government’s effort to concentrate migrants in settings where they can be identified and cared for, while their administrative status is determined individually.