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馃嚜馃嚫 Spain · Motril

CATE Motril

Reception centre Former government property 📍 Puerto de Motril, 18600 Motril (Granada) Capacity: 250 Converted: 2021

Was: State-owned port authority infrastructure.

CATE Motril (Centro de Atenci贸n Temporal de Extranjeros) is a primary reception and identification facility located in the Port of Motril, within the province of Granada, Spain.

Context & Operations: Administered by the Spanish National Police (Polic铆a Nacional), the centre is designed to temporarily hold migrants arriving by small boats (pateras) across the Alboran Sea. Individuals are held for a maximum of 72 hours for identity verification, fingerprinting, and security screening, while the Red Cross (Cruz Roja) provides immediate medical triage and basic humanitarian aid upon disembarkation.

Infrastructure: In late 2021, the Ministry of Interior replaced previous makeshift holding areas on the docks with a modernized modular complex. This upgrade was intended to improve processing conditions and separate different demographic groups, though the facility still faces severe logistical strain during peaks in maritime arrivals.

Location

Official contacts & outreach

Requests we have sent to councils, mayors and local authorities about this facility, with the status of their response.

Subdelegaci贸n del Gobierno en Granada Local authority Awaiting response
  • Requested: 8 Oct 2026

What we asked: 1. Please provide a detailed demographic and statistical breakdown (including country of origin, age demographics, and religious affiliation, if recorded) of the individuals held at CATE Motril since the new modular facility opened in 2021.
2. What was the total financial expense, including construction, maintenance, catering, and security contracts, for the operation of the facility over the last three financial years?
3. Please provide copies of any formal community consultation documents or correspondence with the Motril City Council and the Port Authority regarding the local community's consent and whether they were consulted about the placement of this holding facility in the port.

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