Moroccan security forces detained more than 100 migrants on Saturday near the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after crowds gathered in an apparent attempt to force their way across, according to local security officials.
The detentions took place close to the town of Fnideq, on the Moroccan side of the frontier, with most of those held reported to be sub-Saharan African nationals. Police reportedly deployed tear gas to break up groups massing on high ground overlooking the border fence.
The operation followed days of warnings from Moroccan authorities, who said they had identified online calls circulating for a coordinated crossing attempt and cautioned that anyone involved in organizing or joining it would face prosecution. Spanish police also stepped up their presence on the other side of the border, adding well over a thousand extra personnel in anticipation of the attempt.
Morocco had already bolstered physical defenses at the crossing earlier in the week, including additional fencing and a floating barrier in the water, and further reinforced the area on the day itself with military personnel, patrol boats and aerial surveillance drones.
Saturday’s episode adds to a period of elevated migration pressure along Spain’s African border posts that has periodically spilled into diplomatic friction within the European Union, with some member states earlier expressing frustration over how the flow of migrants toward Spanish territory has been managed.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, remains one of only two land borders between Africa and the European Union, making both enclaves recurring flashpoints for people attempting to reach Europe by land rather than by sea.
Authorities in Rabat and Madrid have not yet issued further comment on the condition of those detained or on any next steps.
