Rome, August 15, 2026 – Another migrant assault on Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in Morocco at the center of the most dramatic migration crisis in recent years, was repelled. About 294 people were stopped today by Moroccan authorities while trying to reach the border with Ceuta from nearby Fnideq (in Spanish Castillejos), in northern Morocco, according to security sources cited by the Moroccan digital newspaper Hespress.
Of those stopped, 248 are migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and 46 are Moroccan citizens. Another 61 people were arrested in Morocco accused of “inciting and promoting” irregular migration through social media, according to sources, who however did not specify when and where the arrests took place. Moroccan authorities also reported that the situation at the border remained under control while operations continue.
Borderland between Spain and Morocco, Ceuta had already been massively stormed last July 30 and 31, when about 80,000 Africans launched themselves swimming to cross the border and reach Europe. At least 141 people – mostly young – lost their lives two weeks ago, according to estimates by humanitarian organizations; 82 bodies were recovered just on the Spanish coast.
Images broadcast today by the Iberian public broadcaster Tve – before Spanish journalists and operators were expelled from the enclave – show the crowd of migrants trying to advance from the heights guarded by dozens of police officers and the Moroccan royal gendarmerie, as well as drones. Meanwhile, on the Spanish side of the border, military vehicles are deployed.
Hundreds today had responded to the social media call for a new crossing attempt, blocked at the outset by Rabat security forces. The group had stationed itself in a mountainous area near the city of Fnideq (Castillejos was the name during the Spanish protectorate), southwest of the Iberian exclave in Morocco, about 2 km from the border.
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Tear gas on migrants, Spanish journalists expelled
Migrants were dispersed with tear gas charges: 110 arrests. The situation is now reportedly under control and there are no reports of injuries. Moroccan authorities then targeted Spanish journalists, expelling reporters from the Efe agency and Tve who were in Fnideq to cover the events. The two teams were informed by hotel managers that they were ordered to leave Morocco immediately, under threat of confiscation of their press credentials and equipment.
The late July crisis and the social media call for Ferragosto
After the late July crisis, Morocco mobilized thousands of Moroccan agents to prevent new mass arrivals in Ceuta. According to Moroccan authorities’ estimates, about 5,000 irregular migrants remain in the city, while an average of 200 voluntary returns to Morocco are recorded daily. For the mayor-president of Ceuta, Juan Jesus Vivas, the number is much higher: there would still be between 8,000 and 12,000 undocumented migrants in Ceuta.
The social media call that was spread for today, for a gathering in the Moroccan locality of Fnideq, reportedly had a much lower turnout compared to the late July mobilization. According to Spanish authorities, the Facebook groups used to promote entries to Ceuta have lost about 290,000 members compared to the one million users who followed the first call.
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