Morocco has stepped up security along its borders with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla after fresh calls appeared on social media urging migrants to attempt another mass crossing, weeks after tens of thousands rushed the frontier.
Issued on: 13/08/2026 - 13:59
3 min Reading time
The Moroccan Interior Ministry said on Thursday that security monitoring had been reinforced in areas close to both crossings, while Spanish authorities warned that the border remained closed and urged people not to act on misleading information circulating online. Messages shared in Moroccan social media groups have called for another attempt to enter Ceuta on Saturday, although it remains unclear who is behind them. The warnings follow the dramatic events of late July, when around 72,000 migrants swam around border barriers or climbed over the breakwater separating Ceuta from Morocco. The rush was driven partly by false rumours online suggesting that the border had been opened. Almost all of those who entered Ceuta have since returned to Morocco, but the episode caused political shockwaves in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. At least 80 people died during the attempted crossings, according to official figures, while human rights groups have reported a higher toll. Ceuta migrants caught between humanitarian disaster and diplomatic row 'Continuous vigilance' Fresh social media messages are also reportedly encouraging would-be migrants to try to reach Melilla, Spain's other autonomous city on the North African coast. Together, Ceuta and Melilla 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 further attempt at an illegal crossing. It said authorities were maintaining "continuous vigilance" around both Ceuta and Melilla, although it did not provide details on the number of personnel deployed or the equipment being used. Videos circulating on social media show hundreds of Moroccan police officers wearing riot gear near the border, with water cannons and ambulances also visible. Moroccan news outlet Hespress reported that equipment for deploying tear gas and stun grenades had also been moved to the frontier. More than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed around Ceuta each day, a senior Moroccan diplomat previously told the Associated Press. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the operation cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
