Morocco Detains Hundreds of Migrants Near Ceuta Amid Mass Crossing Calls

Moroccan authorities detained at least 355 people near Ceuta on Saturday, August 15, as security forces acted to prevent a mass crossing into the Spanish enclave.

The mass crossing had been called for on social media. Reuters earlier reported at least 111 detentions in and around Fnideq, citing a Moroccan Interior Ministry source who identified 109 Sub-Saharan African migrants and two Moroccan citizens. Police reportedly fired tear gas at groups gathering on hills near the border. Spain deployed soldiers and hundreds of additional police officers to Ceuta.

This security operation followed online calls for a mass crossing on August 15. It came two weeks after more than 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta on July 30, overwhelming the enclave. An estimated 7,000 to 9,000 migrants from the July influx remain in Ceuta, straining reception centers, hospitals, and law enforcement. Hundreds of Moroccan migrants protested in Ceuta on Sunday, demanding asylum and urging Spanish authorities not to return them to Morocco.

Protesters waved Spanish flags and banners, chanting "We need asylum!" Ceuta Mayor-President Juan Jesus Vivas called for asylum claims linked to the surge to be rejected and migrants returned. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska supported this approach, stating irregular arrivals would not be allowed to remain in Ceuta, reach mainland Spain, or obtain legal status, except in rare cases.

Judicial associations insist claims must be assessed individually, arguing illegal entry does not forfeit the right to seek asylum. The crisis has revived a sovereignty dispute between Madrid and Rabat. Morocco has claimed Ceuta and Melilla since gaining independence in 1956. Spain regards the enclaves, controlled for centuries, as integral parts of its territory. Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said on August 11 that Rabat repeatedly raised the territories' status with Madrid and wanted the dispute resolved through negotiations.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles rejected the claim, declaring Ceuta and Melilla were Spanish and cannot be touched. Spain's Foreign Ministry said the country's territorial integrity was not open to discussion.