Dozens of Migrants Detained as Ceuta Crisis Escalates

Moroccan authorities have intercepted dozens of migrants seeking to cross into the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, reports say.

More than 100 people were blocked attempting to reach the border on the outskirts of the town of Fnideq, according to Moroccan security sources cited by Spanish media and Reuters.

The crackdown comes a fortnight after roughly 78,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta by sea in a matter of hours – 100 of whom died, according to the city’s mayor – and the majority of arrivals subsequently returned to Morocco.

Moroccan police, some wearing riot gear, reportedly used tear gas to disperse groups gathered on nearby hills. The security sources said 111 people were detained in or around Fnideq, most from sub-Saharan Africa.

Spain has deployed more than 1,500 officers to patrol the area, installed a metal fence and a floating barrier following last month’s influx, and has said it will step up security at the breakwater entrance.

Italian officials have suspended the 29‑member Schengen arrangement with Spain and introduced border checks on Spanish arrivals, citing a risk of a new wave of migrants to Ceuta. Spain counters that Ceuta is not part of Schengen and that migrants are not automatically able to travel to other EU countries.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urges Italy to drop its border controls, while the foreign minister stresses that the root of the problem lies in Morocco. Tensions between EU members test the limits of free movement policy and highlight the urgent need for coordinated action on the root causes of migration.