Morocco tightens security ahead of calls for mass crossing into Spain’s Ceuta

Migrants gather and rest on a beach under the supervision of Spanish Civil Guard officers as authorities install a 500-meter-long floating maritime barrier off the coast of Ceuta to prevent irregular crossings into the Spanish enclave in North Africa, on August 1, 2026. [Marcos Moreno – Anadolu Agency]

Morocco stepped up security measures Friday in the northern city of Fnideq and other areas ahead of social media calls for a mass attempt to cross into the Spanish-administered enclave of Ceuta, Anadolu reports.

An Anadolu correspondent said authorities reinforced checkpoints leading to Fnideq, as well as the northern cities of Tetouan, Tangier, and Nador.

Authorities also installed barbed wire along the border crossing between Fnideq and Ceuta while deploying large numbers of security personnel and auxiliary forces across the city.

The measures came ahead of Aug. 15 after Morocco’s Interior Ministry said it had detected anonymous social media calls urging a mass illegal crossing into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

On Wednesday, Interior Ministry spokesperson Rachid El Khalfi said authorities had monitored anonymous posts and messages circulating on social media in recent days encouraging attempts to organize an illegal mass crossing into the two enclaves.

He described the calls as posing serious risks to people’s safety and said they sought to exploit migration issues through acts of incitement punishable under Moroccan law.

READ: Migrant dies in paraglider attempt to enter Spain’s Ceuta

El Khalfi said authorities were closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to prevent illegal crossing attempts and intercept those involved.

The Ceuta border witnessed its largest irregular crossing wave in recent years between July 29 and 31, when tens of thousands of Moroccans headed toward the enclave before most returned to Fnideq.

Last Friday, Morocco’s National Human Rights Council said the death toll from the Ceuta crossing wave had risen to 14, while Spanish figures put the number of fatalities at 80.

Moroccan authorities estimated that around 40,000 people attempted the crossing, while Spanish authorities said the number exceeded 70,000.

Ceuta and Melilla are located on Morocco’s northern coast but remain under Spanish administration. Morocco claims sovereignty over both enclaves.

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