The detainees reportedly included 294 people from Sub-Saharan Africa and 61 Moroccan nationals accused of facilitating the border crossing
At least 355 people were detained by the Moroccan authorities near Ceuta on Saturday as security forces sought to prevent another mass crossing into the Spanish enclave called for on social media.
Moroccan state-owned broadcaster Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating the attempted crossings had been detained. Reuters had earlier reported at least 111 detentions in and around the border city of Fnideq, citing a Moroccan Interior Ministry source who identified 109 Sub-Saharan African migrants and two Moroccan citizens.
Police reportedly fired tear gas at groups gathering on hills near the border. Spain, meanwhile, deployed soldiers and hundreds of additional police officers to Ceuta.
The security operation followed online calls for a mass crossing on August 15 and came two weeks after more than 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta on July 30, overwhelming the enclave. At least 100 people reportedly died while attempting to reach Spanish territory.
The crisis has revived a sovereignty dispute between Madrid and Rabat. Morocco has claimed Ceuta and Melilla since gaining independence in 1956. Spain regards the enclaves, which it has controlled for centuries, as integral parts of its territory.
Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said on August 11 that Rabat repeatedly raised the territories’ status with Madrid and wanted the dispute resolved through negotiations.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles rejected the claim, declaring that Ceuta and Melilla were Spanish and “cannot be touched.” Spain’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s territorial integrity was not open to discussion.
More than 8,000 people entered Ceuta in 2021 amid allegations that Morocco had eased border enforcement during a diplomatic dispute with Spain. The incident was widely viewed as retaliation for Madrid’s decision to provide medical treatment to Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali, an advocate of Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco. Morocco denied using migration to pressure Spain.
Ahead of the latest attempt, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said it was tracking online messages from unidentified sources calling for a border rush on August 15. It warned that organizers and participants could face prosecution.
Spain sent more than 500 additional police officers to Ceuta and installed a maritime barrier after the July 30 surge. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said about 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave. Those without the right to stay would be returned to Morocco and barred from travelling to mainland Spain, except in cases of extreme vulnerability, he added.
