For over a week, online publications have circulated claims that the border crossing between the Moroccan city of Fnideq and Ceuta will be "open" on August 15, coinciding with a public holiday in Spain. The Moroccan authorities, however, have firmly denied these assertions. On Wednesday, they took proactive measures to prevent any new influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, particularly in light of a recent surge in misinformation spreading across social media platforms.

In late July, approximately 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta illegally within just a few days, marking an unprecedented spike for such a brief period. According to Spain's Interior Ministry, around 70,000 of these migrants have since been returned to Morocco. In response to the ongoing situation, Rachid El Khalfi, the spokesperson for the Moroccan Interior Ministry, stated that "all necessary measures have been taken to counter any attempts at illegal crossings and to intercept anyone attempting to participate in such actions." This statement highlights the seriousness with which Moroccan authorities are addressing the issue of illegal migration.

Furthermore, the ministry has reported that it has detected the circulation of anonymous publications and messages on certain social media platforms that incite collective and illegal attempts to cross into Ceuta and Melilla, the latter being another Spanish enclave located 400 kilometers to the east. Legal proceedings will be initiated against individuals disseminating these calls, and a group of suspects has already been apprehended and is under investigation, according to El Khalfi, as reported by the official news agency MAP.

After the unprecedented influx into Ceuta, around 2,000 individuals, including over a thousand unaccompanied minors, remain in the Spanish enclave, prompting the Moroccan Interior Ministry to urge the Spanish authorities to fulfill their responsibilities and expedite the repatriation of these minors. Tragically, this migratory crisis has resulted in the loss of lives, with eleven bodies recovered on the Moroccan side and at least 80 fatalities reported on the Spanish side, according to a commission of forensic specialists in Spain. Several Moroccan NGOs, including the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), claim that at least 141 people have died during this perilous crossing.

As reported by lesoir.be.