Morocco: 152 people appear in court over Ceuta migration incitement

A total of 152 people have appeared in a Moroccan court for allegedly inciting illegal migration, following a failed mass attempt to reach Spain's Ceuta enclave, AFP reports. Last Sunday Moroccan police used tear gas to push back hundreds of people who tried to cross into Ceuta.

The move came after social media posts encouraged people to cross the border.

Government spokesman Mustapha Baitas stated that around 3,000 people had tried to enter Ceuta, but all attempts were unsuccessful. A police source reported the arrest of 60 individuals for spreading false information about organizing mass migration efforts.

Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish territories on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, have long attracted irregular migrants. In August, authorities blocked over 11,300 attempts to cross into Ceuta and 3,300 into Melilla. The main route for migrants remains by sea, with over 22,300 irregular arrivals in the Canary Islands by mid-August—a 126% increase from last year.