# Migrants Return to Ceuta Beach After Eviction, Overwhelming Local Shelters

Hundreds of migrants have reoccupied El Trampolín beach in Ceuta, just hours after authorities cleared the area for cleaning operations, as the city struggles to house thousands of people who entered the Spanish enclave last week. The makeshift camp had been dismantled Thursday when officials relocated 1,800 people to temporary shelters. But police sources say most of those now back on the beach are migrants who had been scattered across the city's streets, hoping that staying at the beach will help them secure a spot in official reception facilities. Ramses Mohamed, a spokesperson for the association Elín, confirmed this pattern. "These are mostly people who were left out of those resources," he told TVE. "They see the beach as a reference point while waiting to know their future. They will keep returning as long as there are no places to house them." The situation has created a cycle of displacement and return. Many of those moved Thursday said they did not understand where they were being taken or why. Hundreds returned to the beach by evening—some to collect belongings, others with the intention of staying. Authorities are preparing three additional sites to expand reception capacity: a football field at Montesa, the old guano factory grounds, and the Hípica facilities. These form part of the response to the arrival of 82,000 people recorded on July 30 and 31. Separately, Spain's Secretary of State for Youth and Children, Rubén Pérez Correa, said it is "feasible" to transfer 500 unaccompanied migrant minors from Ceuta to mainland Spain within weeks. He estimated 1,400 minors are currently sleeping in city facilities, but acknowledged "many more are on the streets, unregistered." In a related development, police announced the dismantling of two migrant smuggling networks operating between Ceuta and mainland Spain. Five people were arrested. The groups allegedly used small boats to transport migrants across the Mediterranean, charging up to €9,000 per person. One operation led to four arrests across Ceuta and La Línea de la Concepción. In another case, a man was jailed for allegedly organizing a crossing on August 14 in which seven people spent five hours at sea in a small vessel lacking basic safety equipment before being intercepted near El Burgo beach.