A group of 59 migrants were arrested Sunday for allegedly planning to climb a border fence separating Tetouan and Ceuta, as Moroccan authorities raise vigilance after thousands stormed Melilla on Friday.
Police in the Tetouan arrested the Sub-Saharan migrants in Tetouan and Belyounech in the outskirts of Fnideq, according to a statement by the General Directorate of National Security. Some of the migrants were found in possession of iron equipment made to climb the fence.
Those arrested were placed under the supervision of Public Prosecution, pending investigations.
Since 2013, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior recorded a total of 6,860 attempts to assault the Ceuta and Melilla fences.
The data does not include the mass scaling that took place on May 17-18, 2021, when thousands of Moroccans entered Spain.
The Spanish Interior Minister indicated that from 2013 to 2022 a total of 2,783 people jumped into Ceuta and 4,077 people jumped into Melilla.
The largest number of break-ins in Ceuta was recorded in 2017, with 1,174. In Melilla, the number increased from 51 people who crossed the border in 2013 to 2,069 in 2014.
On Saturday, nearly a hundred Moroccan security forces were injured, due to a clash with approximately 700 migrants who attempted to jump over the fence that separates Morocco and Melilla.
Rnewed ties between Morocco and Spain led to fresh commitments on cooperation to fight illegal migration.
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