Protesters set migrant camp ablaze in Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Chaos continues in Ceuta as protesters set fire to a migrant camp on Benítez beach, where migrants have been sheltering for weeks. Footage shows civilians throwing objects into the flames while police separate protesters from the migrants, who retreated to a pier.

Earlier, protesters attempted to block Red Cross vehicles delivering food and water to the migrants. The enclave remains home to several thousand migrants. In late July, up to 80,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta during a mass influx from Morocco, many by sea, with at least 96 reported deaths according to official figures.

While most migrants returned, thousands stayed in Ceuta. Spain's conservative opposition urges their deportation, but international agreements and Spanish court rulings prohibit collective deportations, requiring individual assessments. Unaccompanied minors are entitled to special protection, with an estimated 1,500 children and adolescents among the migrants, including 500, mostly girls, considered vulnerable and slated for transfer to mainland Spain.

The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faces mounting pressure over the crisis. The opposition accuses it of inaction and neglecting Ceuta's residents. Conflicting explanations have emerged regarding whether authorities were warned about the mass arrival. Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated the intelligence service (CNI) warned authorities the day before the influx, while Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and others insisted no warning of such a scale was received. Prime Minister Sánchez is expected to address parliament on the crisis next week.