Moroccan riot police reportedly clashed with dozens of migrants attempting to illegally enter Ceuta, the small Spanish enclave in North Africa, on Saturday. Armed police intercepted 111 migrants, marking what appears to be the second mass attempt at a migrant crossing in the area in less than a month.
Interception details
Among the migrants intercepted while allegedly trying to cross the border between Morocco and Ceuta, 109 were from sub-Saharan Africa and two were Moroccan, according to Spanish news agency Efe. The news agency, citing sources, reports that police clashed with the migrants around three kilometres from Ceuta, near the Moroccan town of Fnideq.
The forces reportedly used tear gas to disperse the migrants, with helicopters providing support. Moroccan authorities detained the 111 migrants.
Heightened tensions
Tensions have been running high on the border between Spain and Morocco ahead of this weekend. Messages have apparently been circulating on social media platforms encouraging people to try and illegally reach the small EU enclave on Saturday (August 15), reports the Express. One message, as reported by the Telegraph, read: "The Ceuta border will be open on the 15th [of August], a public holiday in Spain".
Security forces were deployed along both sides of the border amid fears of another mass migrant crossing attempt. All annual leave was cancelled for Spanish troops ahead of the weekend, with forces rushed to the small territory in North Africa to deal with another potential crisis.
Previous incident
This follows an incident in late July when over 70,000 migrants unlawfully crossed into Ceuta from Morocco within a matter of hours. At least 88 individuals lost their lives in the attempt, with many succumbing to drowning as they endeavoured to swim into the EU territory.
