Moroccan police have detained more than a hundred people who tried to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to Reuters, citing a source in the Moroccan Interior Ministry, among those detained were 109 citizens of sub-Saharan African countries and two Moroccan citizens. They were stopped near the town of Fnideq, located opposite Ceuta.
As reported by the Spanish agency EFE, Moroccan police used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on hills about three kilometers from the border. Hundreds of police officers, including those in riot gear, were seen in the area. In total, Moroccan forces intercepted 148 migrants on Saturday.
Security was also reinforced in Ceuta. Spanish military patrolled the city, and police controlled the main streets. After the mass migrant breach on July 30, Spain sent more than 500 additional police officers to the enclave. Now their total number exceeds 1,600.
Earlier, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said it was monitoring social media messages calling for a new mass border crossing on August 15. The ministry warned that both organizers and participants of such actions would be held accountable.
The new border crossing attempt came two weeks after a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta. At that time, more than 72,000 people tried to enter Spanish territory, and at least 96 people died.
Spanish authorities stated that migrants who illegally arrived in Ceuta will not be allowed to stay freely in the enclave or move to the mainland. Persons without the right to stay must be returned to Morocco.
The day before, the Spanish government introduced temporary border controls for all flights and sea vessels arriving from Italy. The restrictions will last at least until September 7. A week earlier, Italy had taken similar measures due to an influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco.
Earlier, Moroccan migrants explained what caused their flight to Spain. They had heard rumors that the border with Ceuta had supposedly opened, so they decided to take the risk.