Morocco moved to head off another attempted mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Wednesday after authorities uncovered a new wave of social media disinformation urging migrants to make the journey.
For more than a week, posts circulating online have falsely claimed that the border between the Moroccan town of Fnideq and Ceuta would open on Aug. 15, a public holiday in Spain.
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The warnings follow an unprecedented influx in late July, when around 72,000 people—most of them Moroccans—entered Ceuta irregularly over several days. The overwhelming majority have since been returned to Morocco.
“Every necessary measure was taken to thwart attempts at illegal crossings and intercept anyone seeking to take part,” Moroccan Interior Ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said.
The ministry said it had “detected over the last days the circulation of publications and anonymous messages on social media inciting the organisation of collective, illegal crossing attempts” toward Ceuta.
Authorities also warned that those distributing the messages could face legal action. El Khalfi, speaking in remarks carried by the state news agency MAP, said a group of people suspected of involvement had been summoned for questioning.
After last month’s influx, roughly 2,000 people—including about 1,000 unaccompanied minors—remain in the Spanish territory, according to local authorities.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry has called on Spain to accelerate the return of the minors.
Moroccan authorities said they recovered 11 bodies following the crisis, while Spain reported that at least 80 people had died.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a non-governmental organisation, put the death toll even higher, estimating that at least 141 people lost their lives.
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