Spain’s Ceuta enclave braces for mass migration attempt on Sept 30

Morocco and Spain are on high alert for a potential mass border crossing attempt into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on September 30, following social media calls for a “Great Escape” according to Moroccan and Spanish media. The two nations are reinforcing security measures after a massed crossing attempt was thwarted on September 15 when Moroccan security forces stopped around 3,000 mostly Moroccan youths from breaching the border fence. Moroccan authorities arrested 152 people for inciting illegal immigration, and five were sentenced to prison.

The pressure on the Ceuta border was a key topic in discussions between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York this week.

The migration crisis highlights broader issues of economic inequality and lack of opportunity in Morocco, where over 55% of youth under 30 express a desire to leave the country, many willing to do so illegally.