Morocco arrests 294 migrants after social media calls for Ceuta crossing

Moroccan security forces have arrested 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating their attempts to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, state broadcaster Medi 1 TV reported. The arrests came after a surge in social media posts calling for a new mass crossing.

Indian Today reports that Moroccan and Spanish authorities have increased security and restricted movement around Ceuta. The attempted crossings follow a crisis two weeks ago in which tens of thousands of people rushed the border. Official figures put the death toll at 90, though human rights groups give higher numbers, according to Hindustan Times.

A senior Moroccan diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier said more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border with Ceuta daily at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. Thousands of migrants from across Africa travel to Morocco each year seeking a route into Europe.