Morocco announces measures against possible new mass rush on Ceuta

During the last mass rush, tens of thousands of people had set off toward Ceuta after false claims about the possibility of entering Spain had spread on social networks. The wave at the time had posed significant logistical and humanitarian challenges for the authorities in Morocco and Spain as well as for the EU border protection agency Frontex.

Currently, the Spanish and Moroccan security authorities are following up on indications that groups from several African countries as well as from the Middle East could once again be on their way north. According to matching reports from three sources, the exact number of those potentially affected is still unclear.

The background to the most recent warning is the so-called migration drama of Ceuta, during which the situation on the approximately 20-kilometer-long land border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave had repeatedly escalated. There had already been movement on the coast and in the hinterland in advance, Spanish media report, citing security circles.

Reactions from Madrid and Brussels

Spain had recently intensified cooperation with Morocco in order to curb irregular border crossings. The EU is also observing the situation with concern: after the last mass rush, Brussels had pledged additional funds for Frontex and for humanitarian aid in the region.

Human rights organizations had criticized after earlier incidents that those seeking protection had in some cases been rejected without sufficient examination of their individual grounds for asylum. Spanish courts had subsequently objected to parts of the so-called pushback practice at the border with Morocco. Morocco regularly rejects accusations of violent action against migrants.

Situation in Ceuta and Melilla

The city of Ceuta has around 85,000 inhabitants, and the city of Melilla, the second Spanish exclave on the north coast of Morocco, has around 85,000 inhabitants. Both cities have been the focus of European migration policy for years. According to its own statements, Italy is also closely following developments, as routes from there also lead to Central and Northern Europe.

El País was the first to report on the Moroccan security precautions. Local observers do not rule out that the influx could reach its peak as early as Friday morning. The Spanish Guardia Civil and the Guardia Marítima say they are on heightened alert.

Outlook for Friday

The EU Commission in Brussels referred to the ongoing coordination with member states when asked. It said it was in close contact with Madrid and Rabat. Further details on the number of people expected or on the exact scope of the deployment were not initially made public.

Martin Fieder, an observer living in Morocco, told the Spanish newspaper that the situation in the coastal towns near Ceuta was tense but so far calm. „Die Menschen warten ab, was die Sicherheitskräfte tun werden", he is quoted as saying. The authorities of both countries were nonetheless preparing for a possible mass rush.