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Morocco Arrests 111 Migrants Near Spain’s Ceuta Amid Border Crackdown

CEUTA, Spain: Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people near Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on Saturday. Authorities acted after social media posts called for another mass attempt to cross the border.

The arrests came amid tighter security on both sides of the border. The latest attempt follows a deadly crossing on July 30.

Moroccan Police Arrest Migrants Near Ceuta

A source in Morocco’s Interior Ministry told Reuters that police detained 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. They also arrested two Moroccan citizens.

Authorities made the arrests in and around Fnideq. The Moroccan city lies opposite Ceuta.

According to Spanish news agency EFE, Moroccan police used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants. The groups had gathered on hills about 3 kilometers from the border.

Reuters later saw hundreds of Moroccan police officers returning from the hills. Some wore riot gear, while others were in plain clothes.

Meanwhile, EFE and Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported restrictions on media access. Morocco’s Interior Ministry ordered their journalists to leave Fnideq. Officials did not give a reason for the order.

Security Tightens in Ceuta

Security has also increased inside Ceuta.

Spanish soldiers guarded supermarkets, while police patrolled the main streets. The situation remained calmer than in the days after the July 30 crossing attempt.

Spain has since installed a maritime barrier near the enclave. Madrid also sent more than 500 additional police officers from mainland Spain.

The reinforcements raised the total number of police in Ceuta to more than 1,600.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the additional forces would remain as long as necessary.

“We’ll continue to deploy whatever personnel are necessary,” Grande-Marlaska said on Thursday.

He added that the goal was to restore normality and prevent another incident like the July 30 crossing.

Thousands of Migrants Remain in Ceuta

Grande-Marlaska said about 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta.

Reuters saw hundreds of them sheltering from extreme heat. Many stayed under makeshift bamboo shelters on El Trampolin urban beach.

The Spanish minister said migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly would not receive permission to remain.

They would also not be allowed to travel to mainland Spain or obtain legal status. However, authorities could make exceptions in rare cases involving extreme vulnerability.

Grande-Marlaska said authorities would return those without a legal right to remain to Morocco.

Deadly Crossing Raises Border Concerns

The latest arrests follow a major attempted crossing two weeks earlier.

More than 72,000 migrants reportedly surged toward Ceuta during that attempt. At least 96 people died while trying to reach European territory.

The incident increased tensions within the European Union. It also fueled anti-immigration rhetoric among far-right political groups in several countries.

Morocco and Spain have since increased security around the border. The latest arrests show that authorities remain alert to further attempts at mass entry