Africa

Morocco: 300 migrants detained whilst attempting to reach Ceuta

Thousands of Moroccan police officers are involved in the operation set up to prevent further mass arrivals

15 August 2026agigornato ore 20:20

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Ceuta: cariche con lacrimogeni per disperdere migranti a confine

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Key points

Morocco expels Efe and TVE journalists from the town on the border with Ceuta
Morocco uses tear gas to stop hundreds of people heading for Ceuta
The situation at the Melilla border crossing is calm
Morocco arrests 61 people for facilitating illegal immigration

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Around 294 people were detained today by the Moroccan authorities whilst attempting to reach the border with Ceuta from nearby Fnideq (Castillejos in Spanish), in northern Morocco, according to security sources quoted by the Moroccan online newspaper Hespress. Of those detained, 248 are migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and 46 are Moroccan citizens. A further 61 people were arrested in Morocco on charges of “inciting and promoting” irregular migration via social media, according to the sources, who did not, however, specify when or where the arrests took place. The Moroccan authorities have also reported that the situation at the border remains under control whilst operations continue.

Morocco expels Efe and TVE journalists from the town on the border with Ceuta

Morocco has expelled reporters from the Spanish news agency Efe and the Spanish public broadcaster TVE who were in the town of Fnideq to cover news relating to the border with Ceuta

This was reported on the EFE website. The managers of the hotels where the journalists were staying informed them that the local authorities had ordered the two teams to leave the premises immediately, failing which their press passes and equipment would be confiscated.

Morocco arrests 61 people for facilitating illegal immigration

Moroccan police have arrested 61 people for facilitating illegal immigration via social media, after intercepting 111 migrants attempting to reach the border with Ceuta. El País reports this, explaining that among the migrants intercepted near Fnideq (Castillejos), 109 are from sub-Saharan Africa and two are Moroccan.

Morocco uses tear gas to stop 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 whom 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 Spanish enclave in Morocco. Tear gas is also reported to have been used to halt the flow of migrants. The situation is, however, said to be under control and there are no reports of injuries, only of a few arrests. Footage broadcast by the Spanish public broadcaster TVE shows several hundred sub-Saharan migrants attempting to advance from the high ground, which is being monitored by dozens of police officers and members of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, as well as by drones. Meanwhile, military vehicles are deployed on the Spanish side of the border.

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 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 is calm

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 heavier 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.