Over a hundred migrants arrested trying to break into Spanish Ceuta
Over 100 migrants have been arrested in Morocco after calls on social media to repeat the mass breach into Spanish Ceuta. Spain has reinforced the enclave's security, sending troops and hundreds of additional police officers there, Sky News reports .
Moroccan police on Saturday, August 15, detained at least 111 people in the area of Fnideq, a town located opposite Ceuta. According to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, 109 of those detained are migrants from other countries, and two are Moroccan citizens.
Police dispersed groups of people on hills approximately three kilometers from the border. According to the Spanish agency EFE, tear gas was used for this purpose.
Moroccan authorities had been proactively tracking social media messages calling for another mass border crossing on August 15. The authorities stated they would prosecute both the organizers and participants of such an attempt.
This happened two weeks after the largest breach into Ceuta. On July 30, tens of thousands of migrants moved towards the Spanish enclave. According to Spanish authorities, about 72,000 people crossed the border then. At least 96 people died.
Following this, Spain significantly reinforced Ceuta's security. From the mainland, troops and over 500 additional police officers were sent there. Currently, more than 1,600 law enforcement officers are on duty in the enclave. An additional barrier was also installed at sea to prevent a new mass crossing.
Most people who entered Ceuta during the previous breach later returned to Morocco. However, according to Spanish authorities, about 5,000 people still remain in the enclave. Spain plans to return them to Morocco, with the exception of individual cases where a person is in a particularly vulnerable situation.
The situation around Ceuta has caused tensions between EU countries.
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