Spanish Police Clear Migrant Camp in Ceuta Before Royal Visit
Spanish National Police dismantled a migrant camp on Trampolín beach in Ceuta, relocating 3,000 people ahead of a scheduled visit by King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
The Spanish National Police launched Operation Trampolín on Sunday, October 4, 2026, to clear a makeshift migrant camp on Trampolín beach in the North African enclave of Ceuta. Approximately 350 officers, supported by riot police, armored BMR and Vamtac S3 vehicles, drones, and Civil Guard boats, dismantled the tent city. About 3,000 people, primarily military-age males, were moved by bus to the Tarajal CATE reception center for identification, processing, or voluntary repatriation to Morocco.
This operation follows a similar clearance of Benitez beach earlier in the week and is part of a broader effort to clear migrant settlements by October 15, a deadline set by Minister for Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres Pérez. The clearances precede a visit by King Felipe and Queen Letizia on October 13-14, the first such visit in the King's 12-year reign. Authorities justified the move citing rising violent incidents and a finding by the Spanish Health Ministry that beach waters were contaminated with E. coli.
The crisis began in late July when over 72,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta. While the majority returned, at least 10,000 remain in the enclave, leading to local tension and resident demonstrations. The Spanish Migration Ministry plans to house and feed approximately 6,000 migrants while asylum claims are processed. The events occur amid ongoing sovereignty disputes between Spain and Morocco over the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
