Moroccan authorities prevented dozens of migrants from storming the border fence to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after calls for a mass migration attempt appeared on social media, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
The two Spanish enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast - Ceuta and Melilla - have the European Union's only land border with Africa. The enclaves are experiencing waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe.
Moroccan authorities said they arrested at least 60 people last week for using social media to encourage migrants to try to cross en masse.
Since Friday, Moroccan security forces have been deployed in large numbers in Fnidek on the border.
„This is the heaviest deployment of security forces to date in Fnidek, with authorities acting preemptively, setting up multiple checkpoints on the roads to northern Morocco,” said Mohamed Ben Aissa, a local human rights activist.
According to him, hundreds of future migrants were taken by buses from Fnidek.
Most of the migrants are Moroccan youth, joined by a smaller number of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them arrive in Fnidek on foot and hide in nearby forests to avoid the authorities, said Zakaria Razouki, a human rights activist from the Moroccan city.
Moroccan security forces are trying to prevent crossing the land border and are patrolling the beach to prevent migrants from swimming to Ceuta, he added.
Morocco's interior ministry did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Morocco and Spain have stepped up their cooperation in the fight against illegal migration since they improved their diplomatic relations in 2022.
During the first eight months of this year, Morocco stopped 45,000 people from illegally migrating to Europe, according to data from the interior ministry.
Last month, hundreds of migrants took advantage of thick fog to swim to Ceuta, Spanish police said. Increased surveillance of Morocco's northern borders has led more migrants to attempt the riskier and longer Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.
/AG/
Source: www.bta.bg