In Ceuta on Monday, the first groups of women and girls were moved from makeshift camps to the equestrian centre La Hípica (Centro Ecuestre) . According to the authorities involved, La Hípica is intended as a protected site for women and children and forms part of a wider emergency programme to dismantle tent camps in the city and transfer their residents to temporary accommodation centres.
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration announced four additional sites in Ceuta in mid-August to expand humanitarian support. Up to 1,500 places were created as part of this effort; according to the ministry, La Hípica has around 320 beds. The Government Delegation in Ceuta is coordinating operations on the ground together with the Cruz Roja, which is providing initial assistance.
The operation forms part of the “Situación de interés para la seguridad nacional” declared for Ceuta by royal decree on 25 August. With the declaration, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado , the central government is pooling resources for the identification, accommodation and protection of particularly vulnerable people.
Local media reported that around 270 women were taken to La Hípica on Monday from the neighbourhood of El Príncipe . At the same time, security forces continued clearing informal camps. The camp that had sprung up beside the reception site in the district of Loma Colmenar was dismantled. The authorities stress that prioritising women and girls is part of a protection plan addressing risks in the makeshift camps.
The measures follow mass irregular border crossings in late July, which overwhelmed the city’s capacity. Official announcements say additional humanitarian aid funding was activated and procedures for rapid registration and accommodation were expanded. The Fiscalía reported cases of violence against migrant women; the equality ministry announced further protection services.
It remains unclear how many minors are still outside the formal protection system, how long people will stay in the temporary centres and what longer-term arrangements will be put in place. According to their own statements, the Government Delegation in Ceuta and the ministries concerned are considering further transfers within the city as well as transfers to mainland Spain. Municipal authorities are also calling for those still in public spaces to be rapidly registered and integrated into the reception system.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).