Moroccan authorities apprehended over 100 individuals on Saturday for attempting to enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta amid heightened security measures following social media calls for another mass migrant crossing. This incident occurred two weeks subsequent to over 72,000 migrants entering Ceuta, leading to EU tensions and bolstering anti-immigrant sentiments globally, with at least 96 fatalities reported during the attempted entry.
A source within Morocco’s Interior Ministry informed Reuters that among the detainees were 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and two Moroccan citizens detained in or near Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta. Reports from Spanish news agency EFE indicated that Moroccan police utilized tear gas to disperse migrant groups near the border, with a subsequent sighting of numerous police officers, some in riot gear, returning from the hills surrounding Fnideq.
In Ceuta, Spanish soldiers safeguarded supermarkets while police maintained a strong presence on the main streets, in a relatively calmer environment compared to the aftermath of the previous crossing attempt. Madrid has reinforced security with a maritime barrier and dispatched additional police personnel from mainland Spain, raising the total presence in Ceuta to over 1,600, with plans for their extended stay as necessary.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska emphasized the commitment to deploying required resources to restore order and prevent future incidents like the one on July 30. Around 5,000 migrants were reported to remain in Ceuta, some seeking refuge on El Trampolin beach. Grande-Marlaska asserted that irregularly entering migrants would not be permitted to stay in Ceuta or mainland Spain unless under exceptional circumstances of extreme vulnerability, with others facing deportation to Morocco.
Following concerns over social media messages inciting further crossings, security measures were reinforced near the border, with reports of heightened vigilance near the Melilla enclave. Authorities also thwarted attempts of groups boarding transportation to northern Morocco in various cities. Despite these efforts, some sub-Saharan migrants were observed circumventing security checkpoints by taking alternate routes towards Fnideq, where schools were repurposed to accommodate the increased security presence.
Young individuals who entered Ceuta on July 30 were seen engaging in everyday activities at Tarajal beach, with one migrant advising against embarking on a similar journey due to the challenges faced. The warning was reiterated by another individual, emphasizing the futility of crossing and the lack of solutions for the increasing migrant influx. Plans for mass crossings were described as organized events with predetermined dates, aimed at finding solidarity in numbers during the border crossings.