Protesters targeting areas where migrants were staying in Ceuta broke through the police line on Benitez beach and entered the camp area. The group, carrying Spanish flags, set fire to makeshift tents and threw some belongings into the sea.
As police formed a security cordon between the two sides, the migrants left the area. The protesters then tried to block with a human chain the route of Red Cross vehicles carrying food and water to migrants gathered on Trampolin beach.
The roadblock initially prevented the aid vehicles from reaching the area. Police later reopened the route, and the daily food distribution continued under heavy security measures.
Crossings from Morocco raise tensions
The violence occurred about a month after more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. Local residents have called for a return to normal life during protests held for several days.
Most of the migrants returned to Morocco, while an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 remain in Ceuta. In the settlement, which has a population of about 80,000, some migrants are staying on beaches and in makeshift areas in different parts of the city while awaiting decisions on asylum, deportation or other legal procedures.
Four soldiers injured in earlier protests
Thousands of people took part in the demonstration the previous night. The group of about 400 people headed toward Trampolin beach to reach the migrants, but police did not allow them to enter the area.
Some protesters threw migrants' beds, blankets and other belongings into the sea. Police used rubber bullets to keep the demonstrators away. After the incidents, a group of migrants threw stones at a vehicle, four soldiers were injured and 12 people were detained.
Temporary accommodation capacity increased
A few hours before Thursday's incidents, Regional Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres called for violence to be avoided in Ceuta. Torres said people should not be targeted because they are migrants.
Outlining the government's measures in response to the crisis, Torres said 400 places had been added to the temporary migrant reception center, bringing its capacity to 1,183. Two additional facilities with a total capacity of 1,827 people were also prepared to provide overnight accommodation for adults.
The government had previously announced that temporary facilities with a capacity of 1,500 people would be established. Torres said returning migrants who have no right to remain in the country was the priority, but that not everyone could be deported immediately. Each person's identity and circumstances are being examined, including whether they have the right to apply for asylum.
According to government data, about 1,500 children have been identified in Ceuta. Youth Minister Sira Rego said 700 of these children were girls and that many were under the age of 13.
