Moroccan security forces today blocked an attempt by hundreds of migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, to reach Ceuta irregularly . Security sources in Rabat, cited by the Efe news agency, reported that the group was hiding in a mountainous area near the town of Fnideq—called Castillejos during the Spanish protectorate—southwest of the Iberian exclave in Morocco.

Thousands of Moroccan officers are deployed to prevent further mass arrivals in Ceuta, following appeals on social media ahead of August 15. The missing migrants remain in the area, sources report.

Law enforcement officers used tear gas to disperse the migrants. Currently, as reported by EFE, the situation is under control, and there are no reports of injuries, only a few arrests. Footage broadcast by the Spanish public broadcaster TVE shows several hundred sub-Saharan migrants attempting to advance from the heights, guarded by dozens of police officers and members of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie, as well as drones. Meanwhile, military vehicles are deployed on the Spanish side of the border.

The measures were strengthened after the crisis of July 30 and 31, when approximately 80,000 migrants crossed the border, resulting in 82 deaths on the Spanish side, according to data released by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Ceuta, which performed the autopsies on the bodies. At least 141 people died on both sides of the border, according to estimates by humanitarian organizations, including Caminando Fronteras.

El País reports a calm situation in Ceuta for now, thanks in part to the massive presence of law enforcement along the border. Security has been strengthened on both the Spanish and Moroccan sides of the border following the alarms raised in recent days.

(Unioneonline)

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