Moroccan police arrest more than 100 people as they attempt to enter Ceuta

Moroccan police arrested 111 people on Saturday as they attempted to cross into Ceuta, Spain's North African territory. The attempted mass crossing occurred amid heightened security on both sides of the border, following social media posts that encouraged such attempts.

This incident follows a major surge two weeks prior, when over 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta, causing significant tensions within the European Union and fueling anti-immigration sentiments globally. Reports indicate that at least 96 people have died attempting to reach European shores.

According to a source from Morocco's interior ministry, those detained included 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and two Moroccan nationals. Moroccan police reportedly used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered near the border. Spanish authorities have since bolstered security in Ceuta, deploying over 500 additional police officers and installing a maritime barrier, bringing the total security presence to over 1,600 personnel.

Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, stated that migrants entering irregularly would not be permitted to stay in Ceuta, travel to mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, with exceptions for cases of extreme vulnerability. Those without a right to remain will be returned to Morocco. Rabat had previously announced it was monitoring social media activity calling for a mass crossing on August 15 and vowed to prosecute organizers and participants.

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We’ll continue to deploy whatever personnel are necessary to restore normality as soon as possible and prevent events like those of 30 July from happening again.