Spain conducts security operations involving migrants and eviction protests

Spanish authorities have conducted significant operations involving migrant populations in two separate incidents. In Ceuta, police raided residential properties in the El Principio neighborhood, discovering approximately 100 migrants, including minors, living in unauthorized housing. The operation, carried out by a specialized unit from Madrid, resulted in the arrest of two individuals as investigations continue into the management of these dwellings and the legal status of the residents.

In Vitoria-Gasteiz, northern Spain, a court-ordered eviction of a Moroccan family of eight—including six minors—triggered violent clashes between protesters and the Basque police (Ertzaintza). Demonstrators formed human shields to prevent the family from being removed from their apartment in the Sansomendi district. While activists cited housing discrimination and a lack of social housing alternatives, reports indicate the landlord was also in a precarious financial position, prompting the court to grant him possession of the property.

The incidents have reignited debates regarding irregular migration management and the broader housing crisis affecting migrant communities in Spain.