Ceuta’s long-running improvised settlement at the disused Guano factory is no more. In a dawn operation on Sunday, more than 350 National Police officers—supported by Guardia Civil, local police and military personnel—evacuated approximately 500 occupants, the final large encampment remaining after July’s influx. By Monday morning, police sources told EFE that 302 migrants had signalled their willingness to return voluntarily to Morocco after being processed at the Temporary Attention Centre for Foreigners (CATE). Authorities separated 70 asylum-seekers and 30 unaccompanied minors for individual case management, while municipal teams began clearing tonnes of debris from the site. The clean-up is expected to last several days and will include an environmental assessment after months of makeshift living took its toll on surrounding land. Interior Ministry officials portray the clearance as a milestone toward “normalisation” ahead of King Felipe VI’s historic overnight visit on 13 October. Yet NGOs warn that hundreds of migrants remain scattered across smaller shelters or sleeping rough and that legal pathways for those seeking protection must be accelerated. The government says some 12 000 people have already repatriated since August under assisted-return schemes. For corporate security and global-mobility teams, the dismantling reduces crowd-control risks around Ceuta’s industrial port zone and eases pressure on local infrastructure used by supply-chain providers. However, employers relocating staff to the enclave should remain alert to ad-hoc identity checks as police continue to search for camp residents who fled into nearby hills during the operation. Businesses should also monitor ferry schedules: while sailings between Ceuta and Algeciras are running normally, Moroccan authorities reportedly tightened disembarkation procedures in Tangier following weekend returns, causing minor delays.
Source: Heraldo de Aragón / EFE
