Spanish police dismantle migrant camp in Ceuta — Cyprus Mail

Spanish police dismantled a migrant camp on Trampolín beach in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, on October 4. People living in tents and temporary structures were moved to temporary accommodation, Cyprus Mail reports.

Thousands of people in the enclave

According to the Spanish government, more than 72,000 people crossed the border from Morocco into Ceuta at the end of July. Most of them later returned to Morocco, but at least 10,000 migrants remained in the enclave, creating additional pressure on local resources and heightening tensions.

About three thousand people lived in tents and makeshift shelters on Trampolín beach for two months. A spokesperson for Spain’s Interior Ministry told Reuters that, after being relocated, the people would be placed in temporary accommodation for further consideration or could return to Morocco.

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Tensions ahead of the monarchs’ visit

Ceuta has a population of about 80,000. The day before, local residents held a demonstration demanding that migrants leave the enclave.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are due to visit Ceuta on October 13–14. This will be their first visit to the enclave during the king’s 12-year reign. The trip takes place amid longstanding disputes with Morocco, which claims sovereignty over Ceuta and another Spanish enclave in North Africa, Melilla.