Morocco Arrests Over 100 Trying to Cross into Ceuta
Reuters
Morocco arrested 111 people attempting to enter Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, amid heightened security following social media calls for a mass crossing. The arrests came weeks after over 72,000 migrants stormed the territory on July 30.
On Saturday, Moroccan police arrested 111 people as they attempted to enter Ceuta, Spain's North African territory, amid tightened security on both sides of the border following social media posts calling for a new mass crossing.
The incident came two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants flooded into Ceuta on July 30, straining the European Union and fueling anti-immigrant rhetoric from far-right parties worldwide. At least 96 people died trying to reach Europe.
A source from Morocco's Interior Ministry told Reuters that those arrested included 109 sub-Saharan African migrants and two Moroccan citizens, detained at or near Fnideq, the Moroccan city bordering Ceuta.
Moroccan police fired tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on a hill about 3 kilometers from the border, according to Spanish news agency EFE. Reuters later observed hundreds of police officers, some in riot gear and some in plain clothes, returning from the hilly area outside Fnideq.
EFE and Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported that Morocco's Interior Ministry ordered their journalists to leave Fnideq immediately without explanation.
In Ceuta, Spanish soldiers guarded supermarkets while police patrolled main streets. The city was calmer than in the days following the deadly July 30 crossing attempt.
Madrid has installed a sea barrier and deployed more than 500 additional police officers from mainland Spain, bringing the total force in Ceuta to over 1,600. The Interior Ministry said the reinforcements would remain as long as needed.
"We will continue to deploy any necessary personnel to restore normality as soon as possible and prevent a repeat of the events of July 30," Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Thursday.
About 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, according to Grande-Marlaska. Reuters observed hundreds of people sheltering under makeshift bamboo tents on the city's El Trampolin beach to escape the scorching heat.
Grande-Marlaska said migrants who entered illegally would not be allowed to stay, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, except in special vulnerability cases. Those without the right to remain would be returned to Morocco.
Earlier this week, Rabat said it was monitoring "the spread of social media posts and messages of unknown origin" calling for a mass crossing on August 15, warning of prosecution for organizers and participants.
A Reuters witness noted heightened security near the border, including police vehicles with mesh screens and road checkpoints. Local media reported similar measures near Melilla, another Spanish territory in North Africa.
Authorities blocked some groups from boarding trains and buses heading to northern Morocco in cities such as Casablanca, Fez, and Kenitra. However, witnesses told Reuters that some sub-Saharan African migrants bypassed checkpoints by taking mountain routes toward Fnideq.
One witness said schools in Fnideq had been converted into accommodation for security forces deployed near the border.
