Moroccan security forces thwarted another attempt at a mass illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, detaining more than a hundred people. The incident occurred amid heightened security measures introduced after calls on social media for a new wave of migration, reports infohub.kz.
According to Reuters, citing a source in Morocco's Interior Ministry, among those detained were 109 citizens of sub-Saharan African countries and two Moroccans. They were stopped near the town of Fnideq, located opposite Ceuta.
Spain's EFE news agency reported that Moroccan police used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on hills about three kilometers from the border. Hundreds of law enforcement officers were seen in the area, including riot police units. In total, Moroccan forces intercepted 148 migrants on Saturday.
Security has also been reinforced in Ceuta itself: Spanish military patrol the city, and police control the main streets. After the mass breach on July 30, Spain sent more than 500 additional police officers to the enclave, bringing the total to over 1,600.
Earlier, Morocco's Interior Ministry said it was monitoring social media messages calling for a new mass border crossing on August 15. The ministry warned that both organizers and participants of such actions would be held accountable.
The new attempt came two weeks after a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta, when more than 72,000 people tried to enter Spanish territory, and at least 96 died.
Spanish authorities said that migrants who illegally arrived in Ceuta will not be allowed to stay freely in the enclave or move to the mainland. Those without the right to stay must be returned to Morocco.
The day before, the Spanish government introduced temporary border controls for all flights and sea vessels arriving from Italy. The restrictions will last at least until September 7. A week earlier, Italy took similar measures due to an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco.
Earlier, Moroccan migrants explained why they fled to Spain: they had heard rumors that the border with Ceuta had supposedly opened, so they decided to take the risk.