Moroccan police arrested more than 100 people trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, with at least 111 detained as hundreds of officers confronted crowds moving through northern Morocco on Saturday, August 15.
The attempted crossing followed reports of a new social media disinformation campaign encouraging people to travel to Ceuta, just weeks after at least 96 people died during a much larger movement toward the enclave.
What happened on the route to Ceuta
Footage posted online showed large crowds, most reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa, heading toward Ceuta through the mountains after passing through Fnideq, a coastal town in northern Morocco. The groups were believed to have selected the mountainous route to avoid security checkpoints.
Police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the crowds. Moroccan authorities had said earlier in the week that they were working to prevent attempts to reach the enclave, which Morocco does not recognise as Spanish territory.
Related coverage: Why the Ceuta border crisis is testing Morocco’s ties with Trump.
Why arrest figures differ
A source in Morocco’s Interior Ministry cited by Reuters put the number of arrests at at least 111. Later on Saturday, the local outlet Le360 reported that as many as 294 people had been arrested, including 46 Moroccans; the remainder were reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa.
The differing figures reflect separate reports during an unfolding operation rather than a single confirmed final total.
The wider Ceuta crisis
Approximately 72,000 people entered Ceuta in late July, according to the source report, and at least 96 people died trying to reach the enclave. The source description also referred to more than 70,000 people fleeing to the autonomous city during that episode.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Thursday that about 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta. The latest attempted crossing has renewed political criticism in Spain, including an accusation from People’s Party lawmaker Jaime de los Santos that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had failed to address the crisis.
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