Moroccan authorities foil a massive irregular migration attempt to Ceuta
Early Wednesday morning, Moroccan security forces located in M'Diq-Fnideq, in the north of the country, foiled an irregular migration attempt to the Spanish city of Ceuta.
According to the Moroccan news agency MAP, around 200 people from sub-Saharan African countries tried to reach Spanish territory. Moroccan media also add that some of these individuals were armed with sticks, stones and iron hooks to climb the metal fence separating Morocco from Ceuta.
The security forces intervened and arrested all the immigrants involved. This operation has left injuries, both among the migrants and among the Moroccan security agents. On the other hand, the Spanish security forces deployed all the necessary means to deal with this attempted mass intrusion.
The last major attempt at mass entry into Spanish territory took place last November, when almost 700 migrants of sub-Saharan origin tried to enter Ceuta through the southern border area via the Tarajal crossing. However, the Moroccan authorities managed to disperse this massive flow, preventing any irregular crossing.
For years, migrants from African countries have been using Morocco as a transit point in search of better opportunities in Europe. Some try to cross the land border to the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla, while others try to reach the Canary Islands or mainland Europe via small boats.
In 2023, Moroccan authorities intercepted some 87,000 people attempting to migrate irregularly, mainly of sub-Saharan origin. Surveillance efforts across land and maritime borders were able to identify and intercept these migrants, as well as provide assistance to more than 22,000.
Over the past five years, Morocco has thwarted a total of 366,000 irregular migration attempts and rescued more than 90,000 migrants, with a particular focus on dismantling the criminal networks involved in irregular migration. These measures have significantly decreased the flow of illegal migrants to Europe.
