Ceuta: Spanish authorities on Sunday cleared the final major migrant encampment in the North African enclave of Ceuta, just two days prior to a scheduled visit by Spain's king and queen. Law enforcement officers supported by military personnel arrived shortly after 8:00 am at the El Guano esplanade, where hundreds of migrants had established temporary shelters following the earlier removal of settlements along nearby coastal areas.
The makeshift camp emerged in the wake of a massive migration wave that saw more than 70,000 individuals cross into the Spanish territory from neighboring Morocco on July 30 and 31. While the majority of those who arrived went back to Morocco within a matter of days, thousands of individuals have continued to stay in Ceuta, sleeping outdoors in public spaces and along beaches.
The sudden border surge, which resulted in numerous fatalities, caused widespread concern throughout the European Union and precipitated a political crisis within Madrid. During Sunday's operation, migrants were boarded onto buses and transported to designated reception facilities, while sanitation crews moved in to clean the esplanade and surrounding beach zones. A number of individuals also fled toward nearby hills in an attempt to avoid being placed on the buses.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are expected to arrive in Ceuta on Tuesday for a visit coordinated alongside the national government. Morocco maintains sovereignty claims over both Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two territories in North Africa.
The upcoming royal itinerary includes a subsequent trip to Melilla on October 14, marking the first time a Spanish monarch has visited the two cities since King Juan Carlos traveled there in November 2007, an event that previously provoked a diplomatic standoff with Morocco.