Moroccan security forces have arrested hundreds of migrants and 61 alleged facilitators attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by land and sea. Heavy security has been deployed around the border city of Fnideq after false social media rumors suggested the border would open, leading hundreds of migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, to gather in the area.
In a separate operation on Saturday, security forces broke up hundreds of migrants who were hiding near Castillejos in an effort to cross into Ceuta. These latest attempts follow a deadly migration crisis two weeks ago, when tens of thousands of people, driven by poverty and misinformation, rushed toward the enclave in a crisis that left 141 people dead.
Meanwhile, hundreds of migrants who successfully entered Ceuta staged a protest on a popular urban beach on Sunday. The protesters urged Spanish authorities to grant them asylum instead of sending them back to Morocco.