Moroccan authorities have announced additional security measures at the border with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The reason for this is reports circulating on social media about a supposed planned opening of the border between the Moroccan city of Fnideq and Ceuta on August 15 — the day of Spain's national holiday. According to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, anonymous publications calling for illegal border crossings have been identified. According to a department representative, Rashid El-Khalfi, security forces have taken all necessary measures to prevent such attempts. At the same time, authorities have initiated legal proceedings against individuals suspected of spreading such calls. According to the state agency MAP, several people have already been detained, and the investigation continues to establish their possible involvement in organizing the campaign. The new measures were taken a few weeks after a large-scale migration crisis at the border with Ceuta. According to Spanish authorities, around 72,000 people arrived in the enclave at the end of July. Nearly 70,000 of them were returned to Morocco, but about two thousand migrants, including more than a thousand unaccompanied minors, are believed to remain in Ceuta. Meanwhile, reports on the number of casualties during these events vary: authorities and non-governmental organizations report several dozen victims. Moroccan authorities state that they intend to prevent any attempts to organize illegal mass crossings at the border and hold accountable those spreading such calls online.
