Spain and Morocco have deployed hundreds of soldiers and security forces around the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after social media posts called on migrants to cross the border on Saturday, August 15.
DR reports that both countries have reinforced their positions along the border this week. Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, visited border controls in Ceuta on Friday. According to DR, he said the aim was to deter anyone planning to enter Ceuta or Melilla illegally.
On the Moroccan side, several hundred soldiers and security personnel have been sent to the town of Castillejos, and the fencing has been strengthened with barbed wire. That account comes from the Spanish daily El País, cited by DR. El País also quotes Moroccan Interior Ministry spokesman Rachid el Jalfi as saying all necessary measures have been taken to intercept anyone attempting an illegal crossing.
Spain has increased the number of police officers and border guards in Ceuta by 42 percent, to a total of 1,600, DR reports. Around 2,000 additional soldiers have also been stationed in the enclave. Ceuta’s local government has asked all military units to cancel leave indefinitely, and Morocco World News reports that the Guardia Civil has stated publicly that the border is not open and will not open.
Posts point to August 15
The posts circulating online claim that border controls will be weakened on Saturday. Al Jazeera reports that some messages claim the crossing between Fnideq and Ceuta will be open on August 15, which is a public holiday in Spain. DR Verificerer has found several posts mentioning the date in WhatsApp and Facebook groups for migrants, but says the volume has not increased ahead of the weekend.
Moroccan authorities have already arrested several people suspected of spreading false information encouraging illegal crossings, per DR. The deployments follow the events of July 30 and 31, when around 72,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta. Reuters has described that crossing as deadly, with reported figures for arrivals and casualties still varying between outlets.
The EU’s migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, said last week that misinformation on social media was one of the main reasons so many migrants reached Ceuta in late July. The European Commission has since agreed with digital platforms, including Meta and TikTok, to counter misinformation about the situation. Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said Tuesday that the platforms have activated an emergency protocol to strengthen fact checking and remove harmful disinformation.
The Commission has sent a team of experts to Ceuta to examine conditions there alongside Frontex and Europol. Spanish authorities have not yet given a clear figure for how many migrants remain in the enclave. Italy is maintaining its new border controls with Spain until at least August 15, according to the Italian government, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is among the European leaders treating the threat seriously.
