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Spanish police launch operation to clear Ceuta migrants off beach
Police are moving more than 3,000 migrants to a port camp that has 1,700 places as authorities try to clear beach encampments.
On Friday, Spanish police began relocating hundreds of migrants from Ceuta's beaches to a new tented port site equipped with showers and beds, following weeks of rough sleeping.
Tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco in late July; though most returned, Ceuta Authorities estimate 13,000 remain in the 18.5 sq.km territory, while the central government disputes this figure.
Authorities say there are enough tents for 1,700 people, leaving the facility insufficient for the enclave's population; Police struggled to contain crowds jostling to secure spots during the transfer.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces strong criticism over his handling of the crisis and is navigating a dispute with Italy regarding its temporary reimposition of border controls.
The Spanish government proceeded with the relocation despite opposition from the local authority, highlighting ongoing friction between Authorities regarding border management policies.
Bousculades and gunfire this 18 September in Ceuta. The police have transferred thousands of migrants who have been living in precarious conditions for weeks on the beaches of the Spanish enclave in northern Morocco.
Hundreds of people were being moved to a new temporary camp on Friday. There were 1,700 beds and an estimated 5,000 people taking them, and the situation turned chaotic, Spanish media reported.