Moroccan security forces detained 111 people near the border with Ceuta after social media calls for a new mass crossing into the Spanish enclave, reports infohub.kz.
In the area of the town of Fnideq, 109 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries and two Moroccan citizens were detained. Groups of migrants gathered about three kilometers from the border. Police used tear gas to disperse them.
The attempted crossing came two weeks after a mass influx of migrants into Ceuta, when at least 96 people died trying to reach European territory.
Spain has reinforced the enclave's security, sending more than 500 additional police officers, bringing the total to over 1,600.
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said: "We will continue to send as many officers as necessary to restore normalcy as soon as possible and prevent a repeat of the events of July 30."
Moroccan authorities earlier said they were monitoring social media messages calling for a mass border crossing on August 15. Organizers and participants face criminal prosecution.
Recall that on the night of July 30-31, thousands of Moroccan migrants breached the border in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, forcing Spanish authorities to mobilize the army.
Later, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the country is ready to take extraordinary measures to protect borders and citizens' safety, including temporarily restoring border controls on the border with Spain.
Spanish authorities stressed that by Friday evening, most migrants had left Ceuta and returned to Morocco. Initially, it was reported that at least 57 migrants died in the stampede while trying to get ashore over the wall topped with a border fence, and their bodies were recovered from the water.
Morocco's Interior Ministry explained what led to the migrant influx into Spain, linking it to disinformation.