CASABLANCA, Morocco — Moroccan security forces arrested hundreds of migrants attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by land and sea on Saturday, state television reported, as authorities maintained a tightened security posture along the border following online calls for a mass crossing.
According to state broadcaster Medi 1 TV, 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were apprehended during the attempts. Additionally, 61 Moroccan nationals were detained on suspicion of facilitating the migration efforts.
The surge in activity followed a wave of social media posts urging migrants to converge on Ceuta, a Spanish city on Morocco’s northern coast. In response, both Moroccan and Spanish authorities bolstered their security presence and restricted movement toward the frontier.
This latest episode comes two weeks after tens of thousands of people, driven by poverty and misinformation, rushed the border in one of the deadliest migration crises the region has witnessed in recent years. Official figures cite at least 90 deaths on both sides of the frontier, though human rights organizations estimate the toll is higher.
The Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment regarding the recent arrests or the current deployment levels of security personnel along the boundary.
A senior Moroccan diplomat previously indicated that more than 20,000 security personnel are stationed along the Ceuta border daily, an operation costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Each year, thousands of migrants from across Africa and beyond travel to Morocco to escape conflict, poverty, and instability, seeking a pathway into Europe. Many target Ceuta or Melilla, Spain’s other northern African enclave, with hopes of eventually reaching mainland Spain for better economic prospects.