Ceuta Braces for Another Migrant Surge

Spain and Morocco have sharply reinforced security around Ceuta after calls for another mass attempt to enter the Spanish enclave began circulating on social media.

Online posts have called for migrants to gather at the border on August 15, a public holiday in Spain. The warnings come just weeks after an unprecedented surge in late July involving around 72,000 migrants.

Spain has increased the number of police deployed at the border and mobilized around 2,000 military personnel in support roles, while Morocco has sent additional security forces to the area around the neighboring town of Fnideq. Madrid has also strengthened maritime defenses to deter migrants from attempting to reach Ceuta by swimming around the border fence.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the measures were intended to deter illegal crossings, stressing that those who enter unlawfully will not be regularized and that authorities are stepping up efforts to return migrants who remain in Ceuta.

(mja)