Liz Moran
HUNDREDS of migrants have tried to cross Spain’s border with Africa in an attempt to enter Europe.
There were chaotic scenes near the fence separating Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta over the weekend after a social media campaign inspired a mass irregular crossing attempt.
Videos shared online showed hundreds of young men, mostly from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, gathering on a hilltop near the border in the town of Fnideq (Castillejos).
Moroccan security forces were repeatedly forced to push back the migrants, with officers in riot gear forming a barrier between them and the fence – before firing bullets into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
Groups attempting to swim across were also intercepted on the beaches of Castillejos (in the south) and Beliones (to the north), where tragically, the body of a Moroccan man, who is believed to have drowned, was found.
Several buses were sent to the Tarajal crossing to transport migrants who had tried to breach the fence on Sunday morning, relocating them to areas far from the Spanish border.
Numerous arrests have taken place, with documents and personal belongings confiscated. Despite this, many remain undeterred.
“They do this deliberately to scare us and keep us from trying again. But it won’t stop us; we’ll keep coming back as many times as needed,” one migrant told La Sexta.
Morocco, however, has not provided data on the number of people detained during the attempts on Saturday and Sunday nor on the security forces deployed at the border.
Spain’s Guardia Civil remains stationed in the area with a special unit, while the military is on standby, though no migrants have yet managed to reach the 10-metre-high fence.
In the past, there have been similar mass attempts to cross Ceuta’s 8km border, most recently in August, when hundreds of young people tried to swim past border controls.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently visited Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia—countries where migrants have, at times, lost their lives in their efforts to reach Europe.
His goal was to promote cooperation on migration with neighbouring African countries in light of increasing pressure to manage migrant arrivals in Ceuta and the Canary Islands.
Since resolving a diplomatic rift in 2022 regarding Rabat’s plans for autonomy in Western Sahara, Morocco and Spain have worked together to strengthen cooperation on illegal migration.
Following Sunday’s events, Spain has expressed appreciation for Morocco’s “close collaboration” and the “great effort” made by the country’s police forces, according to EFE.
