|
Moroccan state broadcaster Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from
sub-Saharan Africa were arrested Saturday while attempting to
enter Ceuta. Authorities also arrested 61 Moroccans accused of
facilitating the migration attempts, the broadcaster reported.
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 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 misinformation, rushed
toward Ceuta in one of the deadliest migration crises to hit the
region. 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.
The diplomat was not authorized to be publicly named speaking
about the issue and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
