Morocco tightens Ceuta border security after new mass crossing calls

Casablanca,UPDATED: Aug 12, 2026 23:14 IST

Morocco said on Wednesday that it had tightened security along its border with Spain after calls resurfaced on social media for mass crossings into the Spanish city of Ceuta. The messages have raised fears of another surge like the one in late July, when tens of thousands of migrants rushed the border.

Spain's Civil Guard said the border would remain closed, while Defence Minister Margarita Robles warned against any fresh attempt at a mass entry into Spain's North African enclaves. Messages circulating in Moroccan social media groups are calling for a new rush on Ceuta's border on Saturday, though the source of the messages is unclear.

In late July, about 72,000 migrants swam or climbed over the border breakwater to reach Ceuta. The rush was driven by economic hardship and false rumours online that the border was open. Nearly all of them have since returned to Morocco, but the surge had political repercussions across Europe. At least 80 people died in the attempt, according to official figures, while human rights groups have reported higher numbers.

People are now also being urged to cross into Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa. Ceuta and Melilla together form the European Union's only land borders with Africa.

Morocco's Interior Ministry said that "all necessary measures have been taken to counter" any new "illegal crossing attempt". It said the monitoring was part of a "system of continuous vigilance - particularly in areas near the Ceuta and Melilla crossings". The ministry did not immediately answer questions on the number of personnel deployed or the equipment being used.

Videos shared on social media showed hundreds of police officers in riot gear on the Moroccan side of the border, along with water cannons and ambulances. Local news site Hespress reported that equipment for deploying tear gas and stun grenades had also been brought to the border. A senior Moroccan diplomat had previously said that more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel were deployed along the border with Ceuta each day, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. The diplomat was not authorised to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Interior Ministry also said Moroccan authorities had arrested and were investigating "a group of people suspected of carrying out incitement activities", without giving further details. Visiting Ceuta, Robles said it was "everyone's responsibility to deal with those who are directing these movements, including through social media," and called "any aggression against Ceuta or Melilla ... an aggression against Spain as a whole". She added: "This must be absolutely clear: what happened cannot happen again."

Spain's Civil Guard also posted a message on social media in French and Spanish that appeared to be aimed at migrants. "Neither the border with Spain is open; nor will it be. There are new containment barriers. If you cross them, you will be returned. Don't let yourself be deceived," it said. The post included a picture of a containment barrier in Ceuta built immediately after the July 31 border breach. In all, Morocco and Spain have both moved to prevent any repeat of the late July crossing into Ceuta and any similar attempt at Melilla.

With PTI Inputs

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