Massive Migration Attempts Foiled by Moroccan Authorities
On Saturday, Moroccan police detained at least 111 individuals as they attempted to breach the borders of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, located in North Africa. This intervention comes in the wake of enhanced security measures implemented on both sides of the border, prompted by the dissemination of messages across social media that called for a new mass migration effort. Security sources in Rabat revealed that the group was hiding in a mountainous area near the town of Fnideq, located southwest of the Iberian enclave.
Context of Increased Migration Efforts
This latest attempt to cross into Ceuta follows an incident just two weeks prior, when over 72,000 migrants surged into the enclave, escalating tensions within the European Union and fueling anti-immigration rhetoric among far-right parties worldwide. Tragically, at least 96 individuals lost their lives during this perilous journey to European soil. According to reports from the Moroccan Interior Ministry, among those apprehended were 109 migrants hailing from sub-Saharan Africa, along with two Moroccan citizens arrested in or around Fnideq. Spanish news agency EFE reported that Moroccan police resorted to tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on hills approximately three kilometers from the border.
In response to the escalating situation, hundreds of police officers, some equipped with riot gear and others in civilian clothing, were observed returning from the hills outside Fnideq. Spanish public broadcaster TVE noted that the Moroccan Interior Ministry had ordered its journalists to leave Fnideq immediately, without providing any explanation for this abrupt directive. Meanwhile, in Ceuta, Spanish soldiers were seen monitoring supermarkets, while police patrolled the main streets of the enclave. The city exhibited a calmer atmosphere compared to the chaos that erupted following the deadly crossing attempt on July 30. Since that incident, Madrid has installed a maritime barrier and deployed over 500 additional police officers from mainland Spain, raising the total police presence in Ceuta to more than 1,600.
The Interior Ministry indicated that these reinforcements will remain in place for as long as necessary, with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stating, "We will continue to deploy all necessary personnel to restore normalcy as soon as possible and prevent incidents like those of July 30 from recurring." Currently, it is estimated that around 5,000 migrants are still in Ceuta, with many seeking refuge from the scorching heat under makeshift bamboo shelters on the urban beach of El Trampolín. Grande-Marlaska emphasized that migrants who entered the enclave illegally would not be allowed to remain, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, except in extreme cases of vulnerability. Those without the right to remain would be returned to Morocco.
As reported by lanacion.com.ar.
