Morocco and Spain boost security in Ceuta as another call for border rush seen online

NewsMorocco and Spain boost security in Ceuta as another call for border rush seen onlineA Moroccan migrant who crossed into Spain is sent back to Morocco by the Spanish army with other migrants from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.   -   Copyright © africanews Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.By Rédaction AfricanewsLast updated: 15/08 - 09:16CeutaMoroccan authorities on Wednesday announced measures to counter a new influx of migrants to the Spanish territory of Ceuta, after monitoring a new wave of online disinformation. For more than a week, online posts have claimed that the border crossing between the Moroccan town of Fnideq and the Spanish exclave would be open on August 15, a public holiday in Spain. It comes after around 72,000 people, mostly Moroccans, crossed into Ceuta irregularly over a few days in late July -- a record figure, though the vast majority of them have since been returned to Morocco."All the necessary measures were taken to counter all attempts at illegal passage and intercept every person seeking to participate," Moroccan interior ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said. The ministry said it "detected over the last days the circulation of publications and anonymous messages on social media inciting the organisation of collective, illegal crossing attempts" towards Ceuta. Legal proceedings would be taken against those spreading the calls, it added. A group of individuals suspected of being involved has been summoned for investigation, El Khalfi added in remarks carried by the state news agency MAP. Following the migrant influx last month, some 2,000 people including about 1,000 unaccompanied minors remain in the Spanish territory, according to local authorities there. The Moroccan interior ministry has urged Spanish authorities to speed up the return of the minors. Moroccan authorities recovered 11 dead people in the wake of the crisis, while Spain said at least 80 people died. But the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a non-governmental group, estimated the death toll to be at least 141.Additional sources • APYou may also likeHaiti mourns victims of Kenscoff gang attack as fear grips community 3 minutes ago01:14Spain PM Pedro Sanchez rules out Moroccan role in Ceuta migrant surge 15 minutes ago01:10Algeria moves to restore death penalty for deliberate forest fires 37 minutes agoShareMore About Ceuta Morocco SpainYou may also likeHaiti mourns victims of Kenscoff gang attack as fear grips community 3 minutes ago01:14Spain PM Pedro Sanchez rules out Moroccan role in Ceuta migrant surge 15 minutes ago01:10Algeria moves to restore death penalty for deliberate forest fires 37 minutes agoOn the same subjectNO COMMENT01:00Spain: Clashes erupt in Ceuta as anti-migrant protesters confront police 28/08 - 12:29NEWS01:23Police in Ceuta clash with anti-migrant protesters as tensions rise 28/08 - 08:45NEWS01:38Madrid declares Ceuta a “national security interest” 25/08 - 18:23NEWS00:55Ceuta authorities bury migrants who died in border rush from Morocco 22/08 - 11:14NO COMMENT01:00Spain moves hundreds of migrants from Ceuta beach to temporary shelters 21/08 - 09:12NEWS01:15Spanish government creates new migrant shelters to ease Ceuta crisis 20/08 - 17:43More stories01:25General Abdourahamane TchianiCalm returns to Niger's capital one day after failed army mutiny 7 hours ago01:02CoupVote counting underway in Guinea-Bissau referendum that could expand presidential powers 6 hours ago00:56United KingdomNotting Hill Carnival kicks off in a burst of colour and Caribbean tradition 2 hours agoRead the full article at Africanews