Moroccan authorities have intensified security operations around the northern border with Spain after detaining more than 100 migrants suspected of attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
At least 111 people were reportedly detained in and around Fnideq, known as Castillejos in Spanish, as security forces moved to prevent another mass crossing attempt.
The majority of those detained were reportedly migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who had gathered in areas close to the border, about three kilometres from Ceuta.
Moroccan security forces, including officers equipped with riot gear, were deployed to disperse groups of migrants reportedly gathering on nearby hills. Tear gas was also said to have been used during the operation.
The heightened security follows a major influx into Ceuta about two weeks ago, when thousands of migrants reportedly reached the Spanish enclave within a short period.
Ceuta’s mayor said around 78,000 migrants arrived by sea during the episode, with approximately 100 people reported to have died. The mayor also said most of those who arrived had subsequently returned to Morocco.
Security measures were reinforced after the influx, particularly following reports circulating on social media suggesting that another mass attempt to cross the border could take place.
Morocco’s government said earlier in the week that it was monitoring social media posts and messages of unknown origin calling for a mass crossing and warned that organisers and participants could face prosecution.
The response has included the deployment of additional Moroccan army personnel, navy speedboats and drones around the border area.
Spain has also reinforced its presence, deploying more than 1,500 security personnel to patrol the area and strengthening physical barriers around the enclave.
The Spanish authorities have installed a metal fence and floating barrier following the previous influx, as both countries seek to prevent another large-scale arrival.
Migration crisis fuels European tensions
The situation has also intensified tensions among European countries over migration and border controls.
Italy has introduced checks on people arriving from Spain, citing concerns over a possible new influx through Ceuta. Finland and Denmark have supported the move, while the Czech Republic has called for Spain’s membership of the Schengen free-movement arrangement to be temporarily suspended.
Spain has rejected the criticism, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stressing that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area and that migrants arriving there do not automatically gain access to mainland Spain or other European countries.
Madrid has urged Rome to remove its controls but later introduced its own measures after Italy refused, citing concerns about another possible influx.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defended the decision, saying Rome was responding to the possibility of another wave of arrivals rather than seeking confrontation with Spain.
The latest arrests in Morocco therefore come as authorities on both sides of the border remain on heightened alert amid fears that renewed attempts to reach Ceuta could further intensify pressure on an already sensitive migration route.
