Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people on Saturday as they tried to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa amid heightened security on both sides of the border after social media posts called for another mass migrant crossing. The attempted crossing came two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants invaded Ceuta, sparking tensions within the European Union and fueling anti-immigration rhetoric among far-right parties around the world. At least 96 people died in the attempt to reach European soil. A Moroccan Interior Ministry source told Reuters that those detained included 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and two Moroccan citizens arrested in or around Fnideq, the Moroccan city opposite Ceuta. According to the Spanish news agency EFE, Moroccan police used tear gas to disperse groups of migrants gathered on hills about three kilometers from the border. Reuters later saw hundreds of police officers, some in riot gear and others in plain clothes, returning from the hills outside Fnideq. EFE and Spanish state broadcaster TVE said Morocco’s Interior Ministry ordered its journalists to leave Fnideq immediately, without giving any explanation. Why did immigrants cross into Ceuta?: Why did 60,000 immigrants cross into a small Spanish enclave in North Africa? | Hanomansing TonightAt least 57 people have died during a mass attempt by migrants to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. Spain and Morocco reinforced the border fence on Friday, stopping mass crossings. In Ceuta, Spanish soldiers guarded supermarkets while police heavily patrolled the enclave’s main streets. The city was calmer than in the days after the deadly July 30 crossing attempt. Madrid has since installed a sea barrier and deployed more than 500 additional police from mainland Spain, bringing the total in Ceuta to more than 1,600. The Interior Ministry said reinforcements would remain for as long as necessary. “We will continue to deploy all the necessary personnel to restore normality as soon as possible and prevent events like those of July 30 from happening again,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Thursday. Some 5,000 immigrants remained in Ceuta, the minister said. Reuters saw hundreds of people shelter from the scorching heat under makeshift bamboo shelters on the urban beach of El Trampolin. Migrants are seen with their makeshift tents on Trampolin beach in Ceuta on Saturday. (Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images) Grande-Marlaska said migrants who entered irregularly would not be allowed to remain in the enclave, travel to mainland Spain or obtain legal status, except in exceptional cases involving extreme vulnerability. Those without the right to remain would be returned to Morocco, he said. Earlier this week, Rabat said it was monitoring “the circulation of posts and messages of unknown origin” on social media calling for a mass crossing on August 15, warning it would prosecute organizers and participants. A Reuters witness saw beefed up security near the border, including police vans with wire shields and roadside checkpoints. Local media reported similar measures near the other Spanish enclave in North Africa, Melilla. A strong Moroccan police and army presence is seen near the Ceuta border on Saturday. (Adri Salido/Getty Images) Authorities prevented several groups from boarding trains and buses bound for northern Morocco in cities such as Casablanca, Fez and Kenitra. However, witnesses told Reuters that some migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were evading security checks by taking mountain routes towards Fnideq. A witness said Fnideq schools had become accommodation for security forces deployed near the border. “Many of the young people who entered Ceuta on July 30 were fishing, swimming or bathing at Tarajal beach on Friday. Driss Sadik, a 22-year-old from Fez who said he swam for five hours to reach Ceuta, urged others not to follow his example. “The important thing I would advise people trying to cross: Do not cross now, my brothers. They are only going to suffer,” he said. Reuters.WATCH | Ceuta faces humanitarian crisis after migrant surge:Ceuta faces humanitarian challenge after migrant surge About 2,000 migrants remain in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after 70,000 invaded the autonomous city last week, leaving humanitarian organizations stretched thin. Adil Jamil, 17, echoed the warning: “Those who enter will not benefit from nothing. There will be more and more of us and they will not find a solution for everyone,” he said. “If I had stayed with my parents, I would have died slowly. But if I risk my life, come and build my future… it will be better,” he said.
