On the morning of 13 September 2026, the Spanish government Ceuta transferred 864 men from the temporary gathering area in Loma Colmenar to a newly prepared emergency reception centre in the district of Los Rosales According to the government, the measure creates more than 800 additional places and is intended to ease pressure in the city’s hardest-hit areas in the short term. The operation began at around seven o’clock, with enhanced security and logistical support.
The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, coordinated the operation on the ground. Her ministry describes the facilities as temporary humanitarian accommodation, where initial care, registration and the start of asylum procedures are possible. Returns are also to be considered where the legal conditions are met.
The background is a sharp rise in arrivals in Ceuta on 30 and 31 July 2026. Since then, hundreds of people have been staying outdoors, particularly in the area known as the Embolsamiento in Loma Colmenar. By opening the centre in Los Rosales, the central government aims to quickly ease pressure in the worst-affected areas of Loma Colmenar, El Trampolín and El Príncipe and elsewhere.
The transfer is part of a wider government emergency programme for Ceuta, announced by the government in recent weeks. According to statements from the ministry and the government headquarters, La Moncloa additional sites have been identified and are being brought into use gradually to speed up accommodation, healthcare and administrative procedures. These include temporary facilities that can be expanded flexibly if the pressure continues.
Government representatives stress that the aim is to provide an orderly and dignified initial reception. Outstanding issues include the choice of sites, the length of stay in temporary facilities, and coordination with the city council and regional authorities. Madrid will decide on further transfers depending on occupancy levels and the security situation.
The number of people transferred (864), the destination (Los Rosales) and the immediate easing of pressure in Loma Colmenar are confirmed facts. Officials say applications for protection can now be registered systematically. How many people remain in Ceuta in the longer term will depend on decisions in asylum and immigration proceedings.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).