# Spain moves thousands of migrants from Ceuta beaches

> Police begin relocating migrants to a tented camp after weeks on beaches, but chaos erupts as thousands jostle for places.
- Title: Spain moves thousands of migrants from Ceuta beaches
- Summary: Police begin relocating migrants to a tented camp after weeks on beaches, but chaos erupts as thousands jostle for places. Spain is attempting to manage a…
- Keywords: ceuta, spain, migrants, morocco, pedro sanchez, police operation, border crisis, relocation camp, diplomatic tensions, news, world, moves
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6vgy80ge1z7o
- Published: 2026-09-18T11:59:42.306+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ceuta, spain, migrants, morocco, pedro sanchez, police operation, border crisis, relocation camp, diplomatic tensions, news, world
## Hundreds moved to new migrant camp
Spanish police began relocating migrants from Ceuta beaches to a tented site in the port area on Friday morning. The new camp can hold 1,700 people.
## Chaos erupts during the transfer
Officers struggled to contain crowds as more than 3,000 migrants were moved. Police fired shots into the air as some people broke through cordons along the designated route.
## Most migrants have already left
Of the 72,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco in July, most have returned. Ceuta authorities estimate 13,000 remain, though the Spanish government disputes this figure.
## Residents say city is transformed
Ceuta's mayor told European lawmakers the migrants have turned the territory into a pressure cooker. Residents have destroyed shelters and blocked aid supplies.

> The city is completely different than it was before this event, Ceutans have lost their joy
## Government faces criticism over advance warning
Opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of knowing about the influx in advance. Government documents show intelligence services warned of social media calls for a mass crossing the day before.
## Crisis sparked by court ruling and hoaxes
Spain's Supreme Court ruled migrants stopped at sea cannot be returned to Morocco. Social media then spread misinformation offering to help people cross for money, leading to the July surge that killed at least 100 people.
## Key takeaway

Spain is attempting to manage a migrant crisis in Ceuta by concentrating people in facilities for processing, though the operation has been chaotic and politically damaging for the government.