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Ceuta port camp order
Spain’s left-wing government in Madrid took control of the port in the North African exclave of Ceuta and authorized a provisional tent camp for migrants in the port area, with Transport Minister Óscar Puente signing the order to overrule a contrary decision by local authorities.
“Óscar Puente signed an order authorizing the construction of a provisional tent camp for migrants in the port area”
The dispute centers on the accommodation of migrants in Ceuta, where the regional government led by Juan Jesús Vivas had spoken out on Friday against establishing such a tent camp in the port area.
Puente’s order came as local authorities had previously opposed temporary accommodation in a disused factory, a former military hospital or sports centres, and a further camp for around 900 people was being set up in the Los Rosales district.
Government figures cited in the reporting said that on July 30 and 31, around 72,000 migrants swam from Morocco to Ceuta or climbed over border fences, with most returning within hours.
The same figures said that more than a month later around 5,000 migrants were still in the territory, including 1,200 minors, as protests by residents continued and Spain faced legal pressure to carry out a lengthy case-by-case review.
11-4 vote and backlash
In a separate account of the same standoff, the Campo de Gibraltar Siglo XXI reported that La CECE and the Government of Ceuta rejected the idea that the port should host a migrant camp after Óscar Puente signed an order authorizing tents at the Muelle de Poniente with capacity for more than 1,000 migrants.
The article said the decision arrived a day after the port authority’s board rejected the location at the Muelle de Poniente, where the proposal received four votes in favor against eleven in opposition.
The Government of Ceuta, led by Juan Jesús Vivas, called the use of the port a “grave error” and argued that the chosen site involved a critical infrastructure despite reports that would discourage this kind of use.
It also pressed for the same speed in seeking accommodation to be applied to returning people who entered from Morocco, insisting that “Esa debe ser la prioridad,” and that the return would be “la única forma” for the city to recover normality.
The reporting described the institutional clash as the central government moving forward despite the port authority’s earlier rejection and the business group’s demand that the central government respect the port authority’s decision.
16,000 m², legal route
Other coverage said the government’s intervention would occupy 16,000 square meters of the port of Ceuta to install a temporary reception camp, with the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility authorizing the Secretary of State for Migraciones to use the public port domain.
“hasta el próximo 31 de diciembre”
El Diario de Madrid reported that the authorization would allow Migraciones to use the land until “el próximo 31 de diciembre,” while also leaving open the possibility of extending the use beyond that date through a prórroga.
The same reporting said the decision came after the port authority rejected ceding the land because it could affect normal exploitation, and that Transportes authorized direct occupation due to what it considered “la excepcionalidad de la situación en Ceuta.”
In parallel, Cadena SER said the resolution signed by Óscar Puente authorized “a la Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones la utilización temporal de una superficie de 16.000 m² de dominio público portuario” until 31 December, framing the move around a declaration of situation of interest for national security.
Cadena SER also reported that local representatives voted against the project while state representatives voted in favor, and that some migrants were receiving wristbands with barcode identifiers as part of a “lista de espera” for entry to the new camps.