Morocco thwarts over 1,100 migrants from reaching Ceuta and Melilla on new year's eve

Morocco’s military halted over 1,100 migrants from reaching the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla on New Year’s Eve.

Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that more than 1,100 migrants attempted to breach the borders of Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco. The Moroccan armed forces, in operations conducted in cities like Nador, M’diq, and Fnideq, detained over 1,110 individuals on December 31.

Among the detainees, 175 migrants near Melilla’s border hailed from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Yemen. The Moroccan navy intercepted two boats carrying more than 150 migrants near Dakhla in Western Sahara, bound for the Canary Islands.

The eight and twelve-kilometer borders of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco respectively are Europe’s sole land borders with Africa. Despite fortified fencing, migrants persistently attempt to enter the European Union territories in hopes of reaching mainland Europe.

In the past three years, Moroccan authorities have successfully foiled 70 attempts by migrants to jump over the border fences into the Spanish North African cities of Ceuta and Melilla. 

These incidents involved approximately 10,000 migrants, as reported to EFE by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior.

The same source highlighted that these attempted border crossings were marked by “extreme violence and the use of homemade weapons” against security services.

Both cities, Ceuta and Melilla, are continually attracting the attention of migrant smuggling networks. The authorities have discovered that these networks employ speed boats equipped with outboard engines, often manufactured in southern Europe or within Ceuta and Melilla, to transport individuals from the Moroccan coasts.

Addressing the ongoing challenge, the ministry told EFE that Morocco faces constant migratory pressure, influenced by various factors in Africa and Europe. This situation necessitates strong cooperation with all partners through constant dialogue.

The most recent mass jump attempt occurred on November 17, involving nearly a thousand sub-Saharan Africans trying to enter Ceuta. The clashes between authorities and migrants resulted in 50 Moroccan agents and 30 migrants injured.