Now Reading: Morocco bolsters Ceuta border after online calls for new mass crossing
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Morocco bolsters Ceuta border after online calls for new mass crossing
Morocco bolsters Ceuta border after online calls for new mass crossing
Morocco has tightened security along its border with the Spanish city of Ceuta after social media calls for a new mass crossing on Saturday. The move follows a surge in late July…
The Story in Brief
Morocco has tightened security along its border with the Spanish city of Ceuta after social media calls for a new mass crossing on Saturday. The move follows a surge in late July when about 72,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta by land or sea, fuelled by economic hardship and false rumours of an open border. Nearly all have since been returned to Morocco. At least 80 people died in the attempt, according to official tallies, though human rights groups say the figure is higher.
The Moroccan interior ministry said it has taken all necessary measures to counter illegal crossings, deploying hundreds of police, water cannons, and ambulances. Foreign media outlet Hespress reported that tear gas and stun grenade equipment had also been brought to the border. Spain's defence minister Margarita Robles warned that any new attempt would be met with force, saying the border remains closed. Moroccan authorities are investigating people suspected of inciting crossings.
The Indian Opinion
Online calls for another rush on Ceuta ignore the deadly cost of the July surge, in which at least 80 died and thousands were returned. The narrative that Spain will eventually open the border is a dangerous rumour, not a policy shift. The real test is whether Morocco can sustain its costly security deployment long-term, while addressing the economic despair that drives these attempts.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
