Hundreds of migrants trying to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta by land and sea have been arrested by Moroccan security forces, as authorities tightened security along the border following calls for a new mass crossing.
Moroccan state broadcaster Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were arrested while attempting to enter Ceuta.
Authorities also arrested 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating the migration attempts, the broadcaster reported.
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The attempted crossings followed a surge in social media posts calling on migrants to make their way to Ceuta, a Spanish city on Morocco’s northern coast.
In response, Moroccan and Spanish authorities beefed up their security presence and limited movement toward the area.
The latest attempt comes two weeks after tens of thousands of would-be migrants, driven by poverty and disinformation, rushed toward Ceuta in one of the deadliest migration crises to hit the region.
Moroccan security forces stand guard as migrants gather on a hill attempting to cross from the border town of Fnideq to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Credit: AP Photo/STRTwo weeks ago more than 72,000 migrants surged into Ceuta, sparking tensions within the EU. Credit: AAP
At least 90 people died on both sides of the border, according to official numbers, while human rights groups reported higher figures.
The interior ministry did not respond to AP’s questions about the latest arrests or the number of security personnel deployed around the border to prevent a new migration push.
A senior Moroccan diplomat previously said that more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border with Ceuta each day, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Thousands of migrants from across Africa and beyond travel to Morocco each year, fleeing conflict, poverty and instability and seeking a route into Europe.
Many attempt to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave on Morocco’s northern coast, hoping eventually to make their way to mainland Spain and better economic opportunities.
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