Morocco Arrests 294 Migrants Massing at Ceuta
Morocco Arrests 294 Migrants Massing at Ceuta
The News
Moroccan security forces arrested 294 migrants trying to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta by land and sea, Moroccan state television reported Sunday.
The arrests followed social media posts calling for a new mass crossing into Ceuta, according to state broadcaster Medi 1 TV.
Sixty-one of those detained were Moroccan nationals arrested on suspicion of facilitating the crossings.
The attempt came roughly two weeks after tens of thousands of would-be migrants rushed the same border in one of the deadliest migration crises the region has seen, in which at least 90 people died.
Timeline
Tens of thousands of would-be migrants, driven by poverty and misinformation, surged toward Ceuta, PBS NewsHour reported. At least 90 people died. Human rights groups say the real toll is higher than the official count.
Moroccan authorities tightened security along the Ceuta frontier. A senior diplomat, speaking anonymously, said more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border every day.
Moroccan forces detain 294 migrants attempting to reach Ceuta by land and by sea, including 61 Moroccan nationals suspected of organizing or assisting the crossings.
Moroccan state television reports the arrests, tying them to fresh online calls for a mass crossing.
Reactions
Morocco's interior ministry has not responded to questions about current troop numbers on the border or the arrest figures, according to the reporting.
Human rights groups have disputed the official death toll from the crisis two weeks ago, putting the number of dead above the government's count.
Both Moroccan and Spanish authorities are restricting movement toward the Ceuta border area.
What's Next
The open question is whether the social media-organized crossing attempts continue despite the heavy security presence — the same online calls have repeatedly triggered surges at this border.
Also unresolved: how many people actually died in the crisis two weeks ago, given the gap between official figures and the estimates from rights groups.
More
Ceuta sits on Morocco's northern coast and is one of only two land borders between Africa and the European Union. Migrants from across the continent travel through Morocco hoping to use it as a route to mainland Spain, which makes the enclave a permanent pressure point in Europe's migration fight.
Reporting: PBS NewsHour, CTV News, The Independent.
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