Ceuta migrant clearance spirals into violence (VIDEO)

Police reportedly fired rubber bullets and used batons as thousands were moved from beaches to temporary housing Spanish police have begun moving thousands of migrants from makeshift beach camps in the North African exclave of Ceuta in an operation that has quickly descended into chaos, according to media reports.

Crowds surged toward temporary shelters as officers struggled to maintain control, firing rubber bullets into the air and using batons.

The operation began early on Friday, with riot police and the Spanish military deployed to clear the makeshift camps and escort migrants to a new port camp.

The facility is the fifth temporary reception center opened in Ceuta and can accommodate around 1,800 people, while an estimated 4,000 migrants have been living on the beaches.

Footage from local media shows hundreds crowding the designated route, with some breaking into a run as officers struggled to control the group.

Police fired rubber bullets into the air and struck several people with batons before the situation calmed and migrants continued towards the port under escort. 🇪🇸 Spanish authorities have begun relocating thousands of migrants from makeshift beach tent camps in the North African exclave of Ceuta to a newly constructed temporary center at the city's port The new port camp, the fifth temporary reception center set up in Ceuta, can… pic.twitter.com/XAeEIhsMqI — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 18, 2026 The port facility is intended for adult men, while minors are being housed separately.

Three NGO representatives told Reuters that authorities had been too slow to provide the minimum shelter required under European migration rules and that existing reception centers remained insufficient.

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijoo accused the government of failing to maintain public order, while officials said additional locations would be needed to house migrants who cannot be accommodated at the port.

Read more Morocco hits back at Spain over Ceuta migrant accusations The crisis erupted after more than 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31, with the mass influx overwhelming Spanish border authorities.

Most were subsequently returned, but thousands, including unaccompanied minors, have remained in the enclave.

The mass crossing has since fueled scrutiny of Madrid’s handling of the crisis.

Declassified documents released by the Spanish government show that the National Intelligence Center (CNI) warned officials in Ceuta and Moroccan intelligence on July 29 about online calls for migrants to breach the border by land and sea the following day.