Spanish police have cleared a migrant camp on a beach in the North African enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands crossed the border from Morocco over two months ago, the Spanish government said on Sunday.
More than 72 000 crossed the border from Morocco into Ceuta in late July. While most of the migrants later went back, at least 10 000 remain in the Spanish enclave in North Africa, straining local resources and fuelling tension.
Police moved migrants from Trampolin beach, where around 3 000 people were living in tents and makeshift homes for two months, to temporary accommodation where they will be processed or can go back to Morocco, a Spanish interior ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.
Tensions have persisted over the presence of migrants sleeping rough in the tiny enclave, which is home to 80 000 people. Locals held a demonstration on Saturday calling for the migrants to leave.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia are due to visit Ceuta on October 13 to 14 for the first time in his 12-year reign. The visit comes amid long-standing friction with Morocco, which claims sovereignty over Ceuta and Spain’s other North African enclave, Melilla.
- Spanish police cleared a migrant camp on Trampolin beach in Ceuta where about 3,000 people had lived for two months.
- More than 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta in late July, with at least 10,000 still remaining in the enclave.
- The migrants from the beach camp were moved to temporary accommodations where they will be processed or can return to Morocco.
- Local residents demonstrated on Saturday calling for the migrants to leave due to the strain on resources and ongoing tensions.
- King Felipe and Queen Letizia will visit Ceuta on October 13-14, amid long-standing tensions with Morocco over sovereignty claims.
