Spanish reports said over 1,200 migrants returned to Morocco voluntarily from the Spanish-occupied city of Ceuta after an evacuation operation at Trampolin Beach over the weekend.
EFE said the migrants chose to return to Morocco, with the report describing the evacuation as a “clearance.”
On Sunday, Spanish authorities besieged the beach, where migrants settled for months following the Ceuta mass crossing in July. Around 3,000 migrants chose to stay on the beach, escaping shelter centers where they endured abuse, mistreatment, and feared being deported.
The mass crossing dates back to July, when tens of thousands of migrants crossed to the enclave, triggering one of the largest irregular migration crises in Spanish-Moroccan history.
Official reports from Spain and Morocco have since established that the crossing was triggered by a social media campaign that claimed borders to Spain were wide open to anyone who swam their way into Ceuta.
EFE quoted police sources who confirmed the return of more than 1,200 migrants to Morocco.
“Many of those living at the encampment opted not to go through the Temporary Assistance Center for Foreigners (CATE), where individuals are processed to determine asylum eligibility. Instead, they decided to return to their home country after spending more than two months irregularly in Ceuta,” the report said.
Over 150 migrants also chose to return to Morocco last week, with reports estimating the number of voluntary and daily returns at between 150 and 200.
EFE also reported on the continuous control operation at Trampolin Beach and nearby regions following the evacuation to prevent migrants from returning to the camps.
Police told the news agency that the operation attempts to prevent the migrants who fled to the mountainous areas from trying to return to the beaches and set up a new camp.
