Morocco detains over 100 migrants near Ceuta border
Moroccan security forces intercepted more than 100 migrants attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, using tear gas and additional border measures after social media calls for a mass crossing.
Moroccan authorities detained 111 migrants near the town of Fnideq, about 3 km from the border with the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, on Saturday, security sources said. The majority of those arrested were from sub-Saharan Africa. Police, some in riot gear, deployed tear gas to disperse groups gathered on nearby hills.
The operation follows a surge two weeks earlier when roughly 78,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta by sea within hours, a wave that left about 100 dead, according to the city’s mayor. In response, Morocco stepped up security, installing a metal fence, a floating barrier, and deploying army officers, navy speedboats and drones.
Rabat also warned it was monitoring social-media posts urging a second mass crossing and said it would prosecute organizers and participants. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, expressed concern about a possible new wave of arrivals, stating, "We’re not waging any kind of 'battle' against Spain; we’re simply carefully controlling arrivals."