Moroccan authorities have arrested 152 individuals accused of using social media to incite mass illegal migration into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas confirmed the arrests during a press conference on Thursday, following several days of heightened security in the northern city of Fnideq, which borders Ceuta.
Thousands of mostly young Moroccan men recently attempted to cross into Ceuta but were thwarted by one of the largest security deployments ever seen in the region, according to local human rights activists. Baitas reported that around 3,000 people were involved in the attempt, all of which were foiled by Moroccan authorities.
Spain’s two North African enclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, are frequent targets for migrants attempting to enter Europe illegally. Morocco and Spain have increased their cooperation in managing illegal migration, especially after Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara in 2022.
Videos circulating on social media showed young people clashing with security forces by throwing stones, although no casualties were reported. Baitas emphasized that authorities acted within the bounds of the law.
So far in 2024, Morocco has prevented 45,015 people from attempting to migrate to Europe. In a related incident last month, hundreds of migrants swam to Ceuta in heavy fog. The tightening of Morocco’s northern border security has also driven more migrants to take the riskier Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.
