Spanish authorities dismantled the last large migrant camp in Ceuta ahead of King Felipe VI’s visit

Spanish authorities dismantled on Sunday the last major migrant camp on the beaches of Ceuta, two days before King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia’s visit to the North African enclave. The operation took place after hundreds of people had set up makeshift shelters on the El Guano esplanade.

Police officers accompanied by soldiers arrived in the area shortly after 8:00 a.m. The migrants were put on buses and transported to reception centers, while cleaning crews worked on the esplanade and beach. Some fled toward the nearby hills to avoid evacuation.

The camp had formed following the unprecedented influx of more than 70,000 people from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. Most returned to Morocco within a few days, but thousands of migrants remained on the streets or beaches. Dozens of people lost their lives during the migratory wave, which triggered a political crisis in Madrid and diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco, as well as within the European Union.

Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit Ceuta on Tuesday, and travel to Melilla on Wednesday. It will be the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two enclaves since King Juan Carlos’s trip in 2007. Morocco claims sovereignty over both territories.