Morocco Beefs Up Security At Ceuta And Melilla Borders After Online Calls For New Crossings

CASABLANCA, Morocco — Morocco said Wednesday it has beefed up information on its separator pinch Spain arsenic calls resurfaced connected societal media for wide crossings into nan Spanish metropolis of Ceuta, raising concerns of different surge, akin to nan 1 past period erstwhile tens of thousands of migrants rushed nan border.

Spain’s Civil Guard insisted that nan separator will stay closed and Defense Minister Margarita Robles warned against immoderate caller effort astatine a wide introduction into Spain’s North African exclaves.

Messages are circulating successful Moroccan societal media groups for a caller unreserved connected Ceuta’s separator connected Saturday. The root of nan messages is unclear.

In precocious July, immoderate 72,000 migrants swam aliases climbed complete nan separator breakwater to scope nan Spanish city, fueled by economical hardship and by mendacious rumors circulating online astir an unfastened border. Nearly each person since returned to Morocco, but nan surge had governmental repercussions astir Europe.

At slightest 80 group died successful nan attempt, according to charismatic tallies. Human authorities groups person reported higher figures.

Would-be migrants are now besides being urged to transverse into Melilla, different Spanish autonomous metropolis connected nan bluish seashore of Africa. Together, Ceuta and Melilla shape nan European Union’s only onshore borders pinch Africa.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry said successful Wednesday’s connection that “all basal measures person been taken to counter” immoderate caller “illegal crossing attempt.” It said nan information monitoring is portion of a “system of continuous vigilance — peculiarly successful areas adjacent nan Ceuta and Melilla crossings.”

The Interior Ministry did not instantly respond to questions astir nan number of unit deployed aliases nan instrumentality being used.

Videos shared connected societal media show hundreds of constabulary officers successful riot cogwheel deployed connected nan Moroccan broadside of nan border, alongside h2o cannons and ambulances. Local news tract Hespress said instrumentality for deploying tear state and stun grenades had besides been brought to nan border.

A elder Moroccan diplomat antecedently said that much than 20,000 Moroccan information unit are deployed on nan separator pinch Ceuta each day, astatine a costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. The diplomat was not authorized to speak to nan media and said connected information of anonymity.

The Interior Ministry besides said Moroccan authorities had arrested and were investigating “a group of group suspected of carrying retired incitement activities.” It did not elaborate.

Robles, visiting Ceuta, said it was “everyone’s work to woody pinch those who are directing these movements, including done societal media,” and called “any aggression against Ceuta aliases Melilla … an aggression against Spain arsenic a whole.”

“This must beryllium perfectly clear: what happened cannot hap again,” she said.

Spain’s Civil Guard shared a connection connected societal media seemingly aimed astatine migrants, successful French and Spanish.

“Neither nan separator pinch Spain is open; nor will it be. There are caller containment barriers. If you transverse them, you will beryllium returned. Don’t fto yourself beryllium deceived,” it said.

The Instagram station was accompanied by a photograph of a containment obstruction successful Ceuta that was constructed successful nan contiguous aftermath of nan July 31 separator breach.

Oubachir writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Suman Naishadham successful Medinaceli, Spain, contributed to this report.