The anticipated surge of migrants to the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has not materialized as initially feared. Despite calls on social media for a repeat of the mass border crossings seen at the end of July, the situation at the border and within the enclave remained calm throughout the day.

Authorities from both Spain and Morocco are keen to prevent a recurrence of the events witnessed in July, where an unprecedented influx of up to 80,000 migrants occurred. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska emphasized that such a mass arrival was an "exceptional" incident that should not happen again.

Recently, Morocco's Interior Ministry announced the arrest of several individuals suspected of inciting new illegal attempts to cross into Ceuta and Melilla. Social media had been rife with calls for collective mass crossings on August 15, heightening concerns among officials.

In response to these potential threats, security measures on the Moroccan side of the border have been significantly tightened in recent days, as reported by the Spanish television channel RTVE. Authorities have erected additional barbed wire barriers in the border town of Fnideq, while patrol boats are monitoring the coast, and water cannons have been placed on standby at the border. Numerous checkpoints have also been established on access roads to enhance security.

In Ceuta, approximately 880 officers from the Spanish National Police are currently deployed, which is an increase of 270 compared to the end of July. This force is bolstered by around 2,000 soldiers and 700 members of the Guardia Civil police unit.

The mass crossing at the end of July resulted in the tragic loss of dozens of lives, with the latest official reports from Madrid confirming that 83 bodies were recovered from the sea. Non-governmental organizations estimate that the actual death toll exceeds 100.

Most of the migrants who arrived in July returned to Morocco within hours or days, according to the Spanish government. Minister Grande-Marlaska stated that around 5,000 migrants are still in Ceuta and acknowledged that it will take some time for normalcy to return.

As reported by srf.ch.