Chaos and open fire: the evacuation operation ends with thousands of immigrants back on the beaches
The police move about 1,700 immigrants to the new facilities amidst strong tension marked by a stampede, open fire, and several injured
Dozens of police units, about 150 officers, moved thousands of migrants settled on Benítez beach, next to El Trampolín, to the camps in the port of Ceuta on Friday, after the National Court allowed their use, temporarily, following multiple judicial and political disputes over the use of the infrastructure. The start of the operation was marked by the chaos of an initial stampede and tension, which ended with agents shooting into the air and several people being injured. Five hours after the evacuation operation began, the last groups accessed the facilities, while thousands of migrants still remained on Benítez and El Trampolín beaches without a place.
The images of both settlements, very little relieved after the transfer of migrants, show that the reality experienced in Ceuta contrasts with the official figures. The Government assures that, with the opening of the port location, the 6,000 temporary reception places have been reached. This must also include the 2,140 minors who have already been registered in the autonomous city, while some are still pending identification and remain in the streets—between 700 and 1,000, according to the Executive's estimates—and, in addition, after today's operation, both Benítez and Trampolín beaches were occupied by approximately 2,800-3,000 people, raising the number of migrants in Ceuta above 10,000 people, far from the estimates of the central authorities and closer to those always defended by the Executive of Vivas.
Around 11:00, the first camp at the port had already filled its capacity. Located on the largest esplanade, it has hosted hundreds of migrants who have taken their place. Subsequently, the smaller tents were completed. This is the second housing arrangement in the port, and in total both have a capacity of 1,700 people. The police dispersed the last group waiting in the vicinity of the industrial area, but they finally did not enter as the quota was filled. The migrants return to El Trampolín and Benítez, visibly upset.
Criticism of the Government for the evacuation development has not been delayed. The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has accused the Executive of not being "capable of maintaining public order in a Spanish city." The popular spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, has reproached President Pedro Sánchez for having "sold out national police, civil guards, and military." From the National Police union Jupol, one of the most critical of the Government, they have pointed out that the Executive has not "previously guaranteed sufficient capacity of the facilities, the necessary material and human resources, nor adequate operational conditions."
The Government, for its part, has considered that the operation in Ceuta turned out very well for how difficult it was, because it had never before moved such a number of migrants, and called Feijóo "irresponsible" for his statements.
Development of the operation
After the first moments of nervousness of the migrants in the morning, the police organized them into groups along the entire waterfront, from Benítez beach to the start of the industrial area in the port zone, covering a distance of slightly less than one kilometer. Through a megaphone, they called for calm, and the migrants waited for their transfer behind the strong police cordon.
The people transferred belonged to the settlement of Benítez beach, neighboring the settlement of El Trampolín, which is larger. The operation started shortly before 7:00. The immigrants on El Trampolín beach were cordoned off, and upon learning they would not be transferred that day, they resumed their usual routine.
Before the police operation arrived, hundreds of migrants were already waiting on the beaches. When only some Civil Guard units were present in the area, the migrants began to run towards the port location, causing a flood of people along the waterfront of Ceuta. When the police units arrived, they stopped the stampede of the migrants, stopping them to organize the transfer.
The operation is carried out jointly with military and Civil Guard units. The migrants, mostly men, applauded the start of the march, after a sleepless night waiting since before dawn, prepared with their belongings.
During the first hour, the operation of moving the migrants by foot to the port experienced different moments of tension. The migrants crowded together with the riot police, and when trying to cross by the designated route, overcrowding occurred. The police shot into the air and hit several of them, who had been enduring the push of the hundreds who gathered behind them for about an hour.
Removal of minors
Officers from the transfer located several children who were waiting for their relocation in the port facilities. They removed them from the group, who were waiting sitting on the ground according to the officers' instructions. The reception center is intended for adult men, and unlike the Loma Colmenar operation, where unaccompanied minors were initially received, in this case it was avoided that they blend in with the others. For the time being, there are no new centers designated for minors.