111 arrested in Ceuta border crackdown after new crossing calls

Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people on Saturday near Ceuta after social media called for a new mass crossing. The arrests came amid tightened security following July 30's deadly surge.

On July 30, more than 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta, killing at least 96. This time, police used tear gas to disperse groups near Fnideq. Spain deployed over 500 additional police, raising Ceuta's total to 1,600. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said irregular entrants would be returned to Morocco. Witnesses reported migrants taking mountain routes to avoid checkpoints.

Morocco's interior ministry said those detained included 109 sub-Saharan Africans and two Moroccans. Rabat warned it would prosecute organisers of the crossing calls. About 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, sheltering in makeshift camps.