Migrants Say Spanish Police Forced Their Return from Ceuta’s Trampolín Beach to Morocco

In a pre-dawn raid, Spanish police, including armored vehicles, entered the Trampolín beach in Ceuta, where migrants had been sleeping for up to two months. Interpreters from the NGO Engloba tried to calm the crowd, promising transport to a government camp, but the migrants were instead loaded onto buses and taken to the Tarajal customs area. There, police told them none could stay in Ceuta and forced them across the border into Morocco, where many were sent to distant towns such as Beni Mellal.

The Interior Ministry says most opted to return voluntarily to avoid a five-year EU entry ban, yet dozens of migrants, including Taha, Jacob, Hassan Hassan, Karim, Rafik, Bilal and Mohammed, recount being misled, beaten, and denied any opportunity to apply for asylum. They also report that their money and phones were taken and that a fabricated law about minors staying was cited. The operation occurred a week before a royal visit, raising questions about the handling of irregular migration and the transparency of Spanish authorities.