On Sunday, a law enforcement operation was carried out at the El Guano settlement in Ceuta, resulting in the return of numerous migrants to Morocco without allowing them to complete essential procedures to formalize their status or request international protection. According to testimonies gathered by elDiario.es, the eviction marked the dismantling of one of the last significant migrant settlements remaining on the beaches of the autonomous city. The operation commenced around 7:30 AM, involving a substantial presence of the National Police and military personnel. Officers cordoned off the area and ordered the individuals present to vacate their tents. Approximately 150 individuals were removed from the settlement, including minors, who were separated from adults for identification and subsequent assistance by the relevant authorities.
Adults were transported by bus to the Tarajal border facilities. While the Ministry of the Interior claims that those who returned to Morocco did so voluntarily to avoid the identification process, accounts collected by elDiario.es contradict this narrative. Several affected individuals reported that officers led them to the border without offering any real alternatives and that they were unable to express their intent to seek asylum.
Allegations of Returns Without Legal Guarantees
The procedure mirrors that applied during previous evictions at the Benítez and El Trampolín beaches, where similar forced returns to Morocco occurred. In the days leading up to this incident, several migrants alleged that they boarded the buses under the impression they would be taken to reception facilities, only to find themselves at the border. Some of the migrants interviewed claimed they attempted to request international protection but their pleas were ignored. Others stated they received misleading information about the implications of undergoing the police identification process. The Ministry of the Interior, however, maintains that the returns were voluntary.
The distinction between these two accounts is crucial: voluntary return and forced deportation are not equivalent processes. The ability to request asylum and access the corresponding legal guarantees should not depend on coercion or misleading information regarding the consequences of remaining in Spain. During the operation, Civil Guard officers identified journalists present in the area and warned them of potential repercussions if they disseminated images of the operation, according to reports from elDiario.es. The outlet also features images from local media showing officers pushing migrants at the border.
Eviction Does Not Resolve the Situation for Those Still on the Streets
The closure of the El Guano settlement concludes a series of police interventions on the Ceuta beaches but does not resolve the precarious situation faced by many individuals who arrived in the city in recent months. Following previous evictions, numerous migrants relocated to areas such as El Príncipe, Los Rosales, and around the Tarajal warehouses, where they continue to sleep outdoors or seek shelter. The Administration has established reception resources for adults and spaces designated for unaccompanied minors. However, the authorities themselves have acknowledged that work is still underway to develop new facilities to expand the available capacity. Therefore, the eviction of the settlements does not equate to a stable solution for those lacking accommodation and in need of protection or social assistance.
Moreover, the operation comes just days before the official visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to Ceuta, scheduled for Tuesday. The timing of the operation places it in a particularly sensitive context, although it does not necessarily indicate that this was the reason for the eviction. What remains evident is the plight of migrants who, after weeks or months of living in precarious conditions, are now facing the prospect of returning to Morocco without having been able to access a protection procedure.
As reported by mundoobrero.es.
