Morocco arrests 294 migrants in crackdown near Ceuta border

Moroccan security forces arrested 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on Saturday as they attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to state broadcaster Medi 1 TV. The arrests came amid heightened security along the border following social media campaigns urging a new mass crossing.

In the same operation, authorities detained 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating the migration attempts, the broadcaster reported. The arrests follow a surge in online posts calling on migrants to head toward Ceuta, a Spanish city on Morocco's northern coast.

In response, Moroccan and Spanish authorities reinforced their security presence and restricted movement toward the border area. The interior ministry did not respond to questions about the latest arrests or the number of personnel deployed.

The incident comes two weeks after tens of thousands of migrants, driven by poverty and misinformation, rushed toward Ceuta in one of the deadliest migration crises in the region. At least 90 people died on both sides of the border, according to official figures, though human rights groups have reported higher numbers.

A senior Moroccan diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously said more than 20,000 security personnel are deployed daily along the border with Ceuta at an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thousands of migrants from across Africa and beyond travel to Morocco each year, fleeing conflict, poverty, and instability in search of a route into Europe. Many attempt to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish enclave on Morocco's northern coast, hoping to eventually reach mainland Spain for better economic opportunities.