More than 100 arrested in Morocco after social media call for another migrant mass crossing to Ceuta
Moroccan forces used tear gas, helicopters and road checks to stop the crossings, and officials said 111 people were detained.
- Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people on Saturday as they attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, amid tightened security following social media calls for a mass migrant crossing.
- Earlier this week, Rabat said it was monitoring "the circulation of social media posts and messages of unknown origin" calling for a crossing on Aug. 15, warning it would prosecute organizers and participants.
- Using tear gas, security forces dispersed groups gathered on hills about three kilometres from the border, while authorities prevented transport to the region in cities including Casablanca and Fez.
- Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Thursday that Spain will maintain reinforcements to restore order, noting irregular migrants will not be permitted to stay in the enclave or travel to mainland Spain.
- Despite ongoing attempts to bypass checkpoints via mountain routes, migrants already in Ceuta including 22-year-old Driss Sadik and 17-year-old Adil Jamil urged others not to attempt the journey, saying "Don't cross now, my brothers. You're only going to suffer.
102 Articles
102 Articles
Morocco arrests migrants traveling toward Ceuta
CEUTA, Spain — Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people on Saturday as they tried to enter Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta amid tightened security on both sides of the border after social media posts called for another mass…
Morocco arrests more than 100 people near Ceuta border
Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people attempting to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Saturday after calls circulated on social media for another mass border crossing. Authorities in Morocco and Spain deployed security forces around the border following the arrival of tens of thousands of people in Ceuta two weeks earlier. A Moroccan Interior Ministry source told Reuters that 109 of those detained were migrants from sub-Saharan Afri…
Morocco arrests 111 migrants headed for Spain’s Ceuta in security crackdown
A source in Morocco’s Interior Ministry told Reuters those detained included 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and two Moroccan citizens arrested in or around Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta.
The various ministries involved set in motion the machinery to launch the message, knowing that it is impossible to comply, that anyone who enters irregularly in Spain will be expelled
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