Morocco has arrested several people suspected of promoting calls for mass irregular crossings into Ceuta and Melilla on Aug. 15 and has taken measures to prevent attempted crossings, the Interior Ministry said in a statement issued today.
The ministry said authorities had detected anonymous posts and messages circulating on social media in recent days encouraging people to attempt coordinated crossings into the two Spanish enclaves.
The messages “pose serious risks to people’s safety” and seek to exploit migration issues through “acts of incitement punishable by law,” the ministry said.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have taken “all necessary measures to counter any attempt at illegal crossing” and intercept people seeking to participate, it added.
Several people suspected of involvement in the online incitement have been arrested and placed under judicial investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor’s office, according to the statement.
The ministry said security readiness was not limited to Aug. 15, describing surveillance around Ceuta and Melilla as part of a “continuous vigilance” system that is reinforced according to changes in the security situation and identified risks.
It also urged people not to respond to what it called “suspicious and misleading calls” that could endanger their lives.
The statement comes after renewed social media appeals for a mass crossing on Aug. 15, following the large-scale movements toward Ceuta at the end of July.
The ministry also placed part of the responsibility on Spain, saying the fight against irregular migration and human trafficking “cannot rest on the efforts of one party alone.”
Rabat called on Spanish authorities to accelerate procedures for returning unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently in Ceuta to their families, while removing administrative and judicial obstacles delaying their return.
The ministry also renewed its support for the immediate-return mechanism used at the border, saying previous experience had demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing irregular crossings.
“Moroccan authorities will continue to carry out their duties firmly and responsibly,” the ministry said, pledging to protect public order, people and property while maintaining heightened coordination and readiness against irregular migration and human trafficking networks.
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