Morocco Intercepts More Than 100 Migrants Attempting to Reach Ceuta

Moroccan authorities have intercepted more than 100 migrants who were reportedly attempting to reach the border of the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta. Moroccan security sources cited by Spanish media and Reuters said 111 people were detained in and around Fnideq, also known as Castillejos in Spanish, around 3 kilometers from the border. Most of those detained were reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa.

Security was intensified in the area following a major influx of migrants into Ceuta about two weeks earlier, when around 78,000 people reportedly reached the enclave by sea within hours. Ceuta’s mayor said approximately 100 people had died during the incident, while the vast majority of those who arrived were subsequently returned to Morocco. Moroccan police, including officers equipped with riot gear, reportedly used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathering on nearby hills.

Morocco had earlier warned that it was monitoring social media posts and messages of unknown origin calling for another mass crossing attempt on Saturday. Authorities said they would prosecute those organizing or participating in such attempts, as security forces stepped up measures around Fnideq to prevent further large-scale crossings into the Spanish-controlled territory.