Footage on Spanish television showed a group of demonstrators on a beach, throwing objects into the fire. Police pushed the protesters back while the migrants retreated to a pier.
Earlier on Thursday, a military vehicle was attacked with stones and other objects by about 70 people, a police spokesman in Ceuta told the AFP news agency.
Local protesters tried to stop Red Cross vehicles from reaching the beach to distribute food to migrants. People waving Spanish flags shouted "They should leave" and "Out with the Red Cross."
Locals in Ceuta accuse the government of not mishandling the situationImage: Marcos Moreno/EUROPA PRESS/dpa/picture alliance
While the vast majority of them have since returned to Morocco, several thousand remain in Ceuta, living on the streets or on the beach.
Spain's government in Madrid puts the number at below 7,000 while Ceuta officials say it's at least 10,000. Ceuta's population is about 84,000 people.
Growing pressure on Madrid
The Spanish government is under growing pressure over the situation in Ceuta. The conservative opposition is accusing left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of failing to act and abandoning Ceuta's residents.
The crisis comes ahead of general elections next year and has deepened political divisions in Spain. The conservative opposition is calling for a tougher stance on migration.
The mass influx in July had also led to tension within the EU over how to respond to the situation in Ceuta.
More than three weeks after the influx of Moroccan migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, the humanitarian situation there remains catastrophic.
Image: Marcos Moreno/Europa Press/IMAGO
No peace in Ceuta
On July 30 and 31, approximately 72,000 people fled from Morocco to the Spanish north African exclave of Ceuta — and thus into the EU. The migrants found no food or shelter, and no way to reach the European mainland. As a result, approximately 70,000 returned to Morocco. Over 2,000 remained and have now been living there for more than three weeks, mostly out in the open.
Image: Marcos Moreno/Europa Press/IMAGO
Migrants forced to settle on beaches
Many of the people who have remained in Ceuta have settled on the beaches. Even though the photo may give the impression of a relaxed atmosphere, life on the beach is anything but pleasant. Many of the refugees are also living on the streets.
Image: Marcos Moreno/Europa Press/IMAGO
Long lines for food
Long lines regularly form on the beaches of Ceuta when the Red Cross distributes food and drinks to the migrants. Many of them are minors traveling without their parents.
Image: Marcos Moreno/Europa Press/IMAGO
Over 80 dead
The mass arrival of migrants into Ceuta at the end of July also resulted in many deaths. According to official figures, more than 80 people are believed to have died while attempting to reach its shores. Some of these people are being buried in the Spanish exclave.
Image: Antonio Sempere/AP Photo/picture alliance
Final resting place
The deceased were laid on stretchers and wrapped in white cloth at the Muslim cemetery in Ceuta.
Image: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERS
Tension with locals
The migrants' plight is dire. And residents of Ceuta are also unhappy about the situation. Some of them feel unsafe and have criticized the poor sanitary conditions. They accuse the Spanish government of not doing enough. An emergency shelter was set up after police cleared a makeshift beach camp.
Image: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERS
Life still not back to normal
The government in Madrid plans to bring about 500 girls — some reportedly only 10 or 11 years old — to the Spanish mainland. Life in Ceuta will not yet return to normal. Some migrants continue to sleep on the beaches or in the streets.
