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Spain avoids another mass migrant arrival as Morocco tightens border controls
Moroccan authorities made hundreds of arrests and heavily reinforced the land and sea routes towards Ceuta
Ceuta has avoided another major migrant arrival after Morocco mounted a huge security operation to stop people reaching the Spanish border on Saturday August 15.
Moroccan authorities deployed police, military personnel, drones, helicopters and patrol boats across the area around Fnideq, the Moroccan town closest to Ceuta. Security forces also carried out checks on roads, public transport and at transport hubs further south in an effort to prevent groups from reaching the border in the first place.
According to Spanish diplomatic sources, hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants were intercepted, with Moroccan authorities reporting 128 people from sub-Saharan African countries and 20 Moroccan nationals among those detained. A further 61 people were arrested over alleged involvement in facilitating irregular migration.
The operation followed calls on social media for another attempt to reach Ceuta on August 15, just weeks after a much larger incident in which tens of thousands of people reportedly made their way towards the city.
This time, the Moroccan security operation meant the planned gathering never reached the Spanish border. Roads and secondary routes towards Fnideq were heavily monitored and access to the border crossing was restricted.
The coastline was also reinforced, with additional fencing and barriers installed and Moroccan naval vessels and patrol boats deployed to prevent people attempting to reach Ceuta by sea.
Spain had also significantly increased its security presence. Around 880 National Police officers and 714 Guardia Civil officers were deployed in Ceuta, alongside around 2,000 military personnel providing support. Additional specialist police units, drones, a helicopter and maritime patrols were also involved.
Despite the huge deployment on both sides of the border, there was no major attempt to cross into Spanish territory on Saturday.
The calm will come as a relief to Ceuta, which is still dealing with the consequences of the previous influx. The Interior Ministry estimates that around 5,000 migrants remain in the city, while the local government puts the figure closer to 9,000. Almost 1,900 registered minors are also among those in Ceuta.
The city has also reported dozens of deaths connected to attempts to cross the border and surrounding waters.
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