Morocco says working to prevent potential new Ceuta crossings surge

Morocco Interior Ministry says it has increased security along its borders with the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla.

Moroccan authorities say they are working to prevent more people from crossing to Spanish-administered Ceuta as a new disinformation campaign on social media called for mass attempts to enter.

Morocco’s Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday that it has increased security along its borders with the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla.

Authorities also said legal proceedings would be taken against those spreading online posts that encourage irregular migration. The surge in late July had been triggered by a social media campaign calling for mass crossings.

Online posts have been circulating throughout the past week. This time, they claim that the border crossing between the Moroccan town of Fnideq and Ceuta would be open on August ۱۵, a public holiday in Spain.

The Moroccan ministry said it “detected over the last days the circulation of publications and anonymous messages on social media inciting the organisation of collective, illegal crossing attempts” towards Ceuta.

Additionally, Moroccan Interior Ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said that “all the necessary measures were taken to counter all attempts at illegal passage and intercept every person seeking to participate.”

A group of people accused of being involved has been summoned for investigation, El Khalfi added in remarks carried by the state news agency MAP.

In late July, approximately ۷۲,۰۰۰ people from Morocco crossed into Ceuta irregularly, most of them arriving via the sea over a few days.

On August ۷, Morocco sentenced seven Moroccan taxi drivers to up to six months in prison and fined each $۱,۰۷۰ for driving people to the border.

The national taxi union condemned the sentences as harsh and unexpected, noting in a statement that “no official decision was issued imposing restrictions on passenger transport.”

The vast majority of those who crossed have since been returned to Morocco by local and Spanish forces. However, according to local authorities in Ceuta, about ۲,۰۰۰ people remain in the territory on the North African coast. Approximately ۱,۰۰۰ of them are minors who cannot be deported under Spanish law.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry has urged Spanish authorities to speed up the return of the children.

Moroccan authorities recovered the bodies of ۱۱ dead people in the wake of the crisis, while Spain said at least ۸۰ people died. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a nongovernmental group, estimated the death toll to be at least ۱۴۱.