Morocco has arrested a group of people suspected of inciting new attempts to cross illegally into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the Interior Ministry reported Wednesday, saying calls were circulating on social media for mass crossings on August 15.
The ministry said it had monitored anonymous posts and messages in recent days calling for collective attempts to enter the two enclaves illegally. It said the calls sought to exploit the migration issue for acts of incitement punishable under Moroccan law.
The authorities have taken all necessary measures to prevent illegal crossings and to intercept people attempting to participate, the ministry said. It added that legal action would also be taken against those promoting such calls online.
The ministry did not specify how many people had been arrested or when the arrests took place. It said only that a group of people suspected of incitement had been detained and placed under judicial investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor.
Morocco said security measures in areas near the borders with Ceuta and Melilla were being continuously reinforced and adapted according to developments and the nature of the risks. It stressed that the authorities' state of readiness was not linked to a specific date but formed part of a permanent security posture.
The ministry urged people not to follow what it called "suspicious and misleading calls," warning that attempts to cross the borders illegally could endanger people's lives. It also stressed that combating irregular migration and human-trafficking required shared responsibility and closer cooperation between the countries concerned.
Morocco called on Spain to accelerate procedures for returning unaccompanied Moroccan minors currently in Ceuta to their families in Morocco. It said administrative and judicial obstacles preventing their return should be overcome as quickly as possible, while safeguarding the children's best interests.
The ministry also renewed its call for the use of a mechanism allowing immediate returns, saying previous experience had demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing irregular migration and supporting operations on the ground.
The latest warning follows a major migration surge into Ceuta in late July, when tens of thousands of people attempted to reach the Spanish enclave from Morocco.
Estimates of the scale of the crossings varied considerably. Ceuta's regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, at times put the number as high as 80,000, while Morocco estimated that around 40,000 people had attempted to reach the enclave.
Dozens of people died during the attempt, mostly while trying to reach Ceuta by swimming. The official death toll has since risen to 83, from 82 previously.
The mass influx sparked renewed debate over the protection of the European Union's external borders and led to tensions between Spain and other EU member states over migration policy and border management.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two territories on the North African coast, border Morocco and have long been focal points for migrants seeking to enter the European Union. Morocco and Spain have increased security and migration cooperation in recent years, though migration remains a recurring source of tension between the two countries.
Morocco's Interior Ministry said the authorities would continue to act "with firmness and responsibility" to protect public order and the safety of people and property and to combat irregular migration and human-trafficking networks, while maintaining a high level of vigilance and coordination.