Spain and Morocco stepped up security measures on Saturday along the border with the Spanish city of Ceuta, anticipating an attempted mass crossing after calls circulated on social media urging people to head to the area on August 15, while the situation at the border crossing remained calm during the morning hours.
Online calls and a heavy security presence
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, accounts and groups with thousands of users on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp circulated calls bearing slogans including “15/08” and “the attack,” coinciding with Spain’s August 15 holiday.
In the Moroccan city of Fnideq, opposite Ceuta, authorities stepped up their deployment as part of what they called “Operation Cage,” aimed at preventing young people from reaching the border area. The measures included deploying barriers, barbed wire, water cannons, armored vehicles and riot-control units, as well as Royal Navy patrols and helicopters.
Authorities imposed strict restrictions on access to the area, while the Tarajal crossing remained the only open passage, with transit limited to holders of the required documents and inspections and monitoring beginning before reaching the border.
Arrests of suspects accused of inciting crossings
The heightened alert came after Morocco’s Interior Ministry announced several days earlier that it had arrested a group of people suspected of inciting illegal crossing attempts from Morocco into Ceuta and Melilla. The ministry said it had taken the necessary measures to prevent and intercept any new attempts and those taking part in them.
The measures followed a mass attempt in Ceuta on July 30 and 31, which the source material said involved about 80,000 people who tried to reach the Spanish side irregularly.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed human-smuggling networks for exploiting an interpretation of a court ruling concerning the return of people who arrive by sea. The Madrid government also announced the creation of a temporary center in Ceuta to expedite procedures for returning people whose stay lacks a legal basis.
Repercussions and disputes within the European Union
The repercussions of the crisis extended into the European Union, as Italy announced the suspension of the Schengen free-movement agreement with Spain and the reimposition of checks on people arriving from Spain, citing national-security concerns and the repercussions of the migration wave in Ceuta.
Madrid summoned the Italian ambassador to protest statements by officials in Rome, while Spain, in turn, reimposed temporary checks on people arriving from Italy.
The developments sparked a European debate over how to deal with sudden migration waves and coordinate on border issues, alongside domestic criticism faced by the Spanish government over its handling of the crisis.
