Ceuta on alert for migrant border breach as water cannons and razor wire deployed

Security measures have been noticeably strengthened in recent days, particularly on the Moroccan side.

In the border town of Fnideq, authorities have installed additional barbed-wire barriers. Patrol boats are monitoring the coastline, water cannons have been deployed at the border, and numerous checkpoints have been set up along access roads.

There are currently 880 Spanish National Police officers in Ceuta, 270 more than at the end of July. They are supported by around 2,000 military personnel and 700 Civil Guard officers.

Despite the calls on social media, a dpa reporter observed a lull at the border crossing in Ceuta on Saturday morning.

Background

Authorities in both countries are trying to prevent a repeat of the events at the end of July. At the time, according to various estimates, up to 80,000 migrants stormed into Ceuta.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska later stressed that it was a one-off incident that would not happen again.

Several days ago, Morocco's Interior Ministry announced the arrest of a group of people suspected of inciting new attempts to illegally enter the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Calls to cross the border en masse on August 15 had been circulating on social media.

The ministry said it had taken all necessary measures to prevent any illegal crossings.

As previously reported, at the end of July, the Spanish exclave of Ceuta faced its largest migration crisis in years. Tens of thousands of people stormed into the exclave within a short period, prompting Spain to deploy troops.

Madrid later announced plans to build a 500-meter barrier along the maritime section of the border.