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Spain clears last major migrant camp in Ceuta ahead of royal visit

Workers clear debris after Spanish police removed migrants from temporary makeshift camp El Guano near the Trampolin beach in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Oct. 11, 2026. (AFP Photo)
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Workers clear debris after Spanish police removed migrants from temporary makeshift camp El Guano near the Trampolin beach in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Oct. 11, 2026. (AFP Photo)
October 11, 2026 02:58 PM GMT+03:00

Spanish authorities removed the last large migrant camp in Ceuta, a Spanish-controlled enclave on the northern coast of Africa, on Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporters at the scene said.

The operation came two days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are due to visit.

The camp had formed after more than 70,000 people crossed from neighboring Morocco into the Spanish territory on July 30 and 31.

Most of them returned to Morocco within days, but thousands remain in Ceuta, many sleeping in the streets or on beaches.

The sudden influx, during which scores of people died, alarmed the European Union and set off a political crisis in Madrid.

Police backed by soldiers arrived at the El Guano esplanade shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. GMT), an AFP reporter said.

Hundreds of migrants had been living there in makeshift shelters after authorities earlier cleared settlements on nearby beaches.

Migrants were loaded onto buses and taken to reception centers, while cleaning crews moved in to clear the esplanade and the beach. Some migrants fled into nearby hills to avoid being placed on the buses.

Workers clear debris after Spanish police removed migrants from temporary makeshift camp El Guano near the Trampolin beach in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Oct. 11, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Workers clear debris after Spanish police removed migrants from temporary makeshift camp El Guano near the Trampolin beach in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Oct. 11, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Royal visit draws attention to enclaves

The king and queen are due to visit Ceuta on Tuesday on a trip coordinated with the government. They will travel to Melilla, Spain’s other enclave in North Africa, on Oct. 14.

Morocco claims sovereignty over both Ceuta and Melilla, which Spain governs. The two cities are among the few land borders between the European Union and Africa.

The trip will be the first visit to the two cities by a Spanish monarch since King Juan Carlos traveled there in November 2007.

That visit sparked a diplomatic crisis with Morocco.

October 11, 2026 02:59 PM GMT+03:00
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