The Spanish Policía Nacional began clearing and dismantling the makeshift migrant camp at Muelle de Poniente in the port of Ceuta on Sunday, 8 November 2026, in the early hours of the morning. According to consistent official and media reports, groups of people accommodated there were transferred to the CATE de El Tarajal as well as the Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes .
The measures primarily concern people whose identity checks and administrative procedures are well advanced. According to local operational practice, cases in which rejection or return orders have already been issued are prioritised. Under the applicable bilateral arrangements, possible returns to Morocco are being prepared for some individuals. At the same time, procedures for assessing protection claims remain in place.
The camp at Muelle de Poniente was set up as a temporary site following the mass irregular border crossings of 30 and 31 July 2026. Since then, the authorities have repeatedly arranged transfers from temporary accommodation to consolidate identification, health checks and administrative procedures. The dismantling now under way is seen as another step towards freeing up space in the port and concentrating operations in regular facilities.
Coordination is governed by Real Decreto 681/2026, under which the central government declared Ceuta an area of interest for national security on 25 August 2026. This decree sets out cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior, security forces and local authorities, and allows capacity to be redistributed flexibly between CATE de El Tarajal and the Centro de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes. The Boletín Oficial del Estado sets out the provisions.
According to the authorities, further transfers are expected in the short term to gradually clear the port infrastructure. In the medium to long term, the key factors will be how many cases result in residence or protection status and in how many cases returns can be legally enforced. Local organisations are monitoring the implementation and stress the need for prompt decisions in accordance with the rule of law, as well as appropriate accommodation while cases are being processed.
The clearance in Ceuta is therefore directly linked to the management of migration since the events at the end of July. It does not mark a sudden change of course, but continues a phased approach already under way for weeks, now easing pressure on the temporary facility at the port of Ceuta and moving procedures to regular centres.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).