Moroccan law enforcement agencies have deported approximately 1,500 people from the country’s northern regions over the past nine days as authorities intensify efforts to stem illegal migration into Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city on Africa’s Mediterranean coast. The figure highlights an unrelenting wave of attempted crossings despite enhanced security measures.
Young Moroccans account for the overwhelming majority of those expelled. Minors are also among them. Security sources revealed that between 150 and 200 people attempting to cross into the enclave have been detained daily, a rate that’s proven difficult to reduce even with constant surveillance, additional checkpoints, and regular gendarmerie patrols along approaches to Ceuta.
What’s driving this persistent surge? The answer lies partly in events from late July through early August, when tens of thousands of migrants reached Ceuta by swimming or walking around the breakwater separating the city from Morocco. Spain’s government reported around 72,000 crossings during that period, though approximately 70,000 have since returned to Morocco.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry places the figure at roughly 40,000 attempted illegal crossings. The discrepancy in numbers reflects the chaotic nature of the crisis, which has strained relations between Madrid and Rabat while leaving thousands in limbo along one of Europe’s most heavily fortified borders.
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