Morocco stops hundreds of people heading for Ceuta

Moroccan security forces today thwarted an attempt by hundreds of migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta illegally. This was reported by security sources in Rabat, cited by the Efe news agency, according to which the group had been hiding in a mountainous area near the town of Fnideq – known as Castillejos during the Spanish protectorate – to the south-west of the Iberian enclave in Morocco.

Thousands of Moroccan officers are deployed as part of the operation set up to prevent further mass arrivals in Ceuta, following calls circulated on social media ahead of 15 August. The migrants who had gone their separate ways have remained in the area, according to sources. The measures were stepped up following the crisis on 30 and 31 July, when around 80,000 migrants crossed the border, resulting in 82 deaths on the Spanish side of the border, according to figures released by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Ceuta, which carried out the post-mortem examinations on the bodies. There are believed to be at least 141 victims on both sides of the border, according to estimates by humanitarian organisations, including Caminando Fronteras.

The situation at the Melilla border crossing has been ‘calm’ over the last few hours, despite calls circulating on Moroccan social media urging people to attempt to enter the country illegally today, and although the police presence is greater than usual. This is reported by El País, citing sources from the government delegation in Melilla, according to whom the day is proceeding ‘normally, without incident’. There is also a notable police presence within the city of Melilla.