Morocco beefs up security at Ceuta and Melilla borders after online calls for new crossings

Morocco said Wednesday (August 12, 2026) it has beefed up security along its border with Spain as calls resurfaced on social media for mass crossings into the Spanish city of Ceuta, raising concerns of another surge, similar to the one last month when tens of thousands of migrants rushed the border.

Also read | Spain’s Ceuta migration influx: What we know

Spain’s Civil Guard insisted that the border will remain closed and Defense Minister Margarita Robles warned against any new attempt at a mass entry into Spain’s North African exclaves.

Messages are circulating in Moroccan social media groups for a new rush on Ceuta’s border on Saturday (August 15). The source of the messages is unclear.

News In Frames: The long swim to Ceuta

Against waves: Migrants make their way from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on July 30, as the border witnessed its biggest migrant surge in years

Waiting game: Migrants gather around a burnt-out vehicle near Fnideq, Morocco, on July 31, waiting for an opportunity to cross into Ceuta

Border tensions: Migrants gather on a hillside during clashes with Moroccan security forces near Fnideq, as thousands attempt to reach Ceuta.

First steps: A migrant gestures after reaching the Spanish side of the border in Ceuta, following the hazardous journey by land and sea.

Sea route: People swim around the border barrier separating Morocco and Ceuta on July 31

Divided voices: Far-right demonstrators protest the mass arrivals in Ceuta outside the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid on July 31.

Safe ground: Emotion washes over a migrant after he reached Ceuta on July 31, ending a perilous journey across the border.

Quick reaction: A Spanish soldier escorts migrants back towards the Moroccan border on August 1, as Spain rapidly returned most of those who entered Ceuta.

Under watch: A Spanish soldier questions a migrant in Ceuta after thousands crossed into the enclave by land and sea.

Turning back: Spanish police and soldiers escort migrants towards the border after authorities begin returning arrivals to Morocco.

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In late July, some 72,000 migrants swam or climbed over the border breakwater to reach the Spanish city, fuelled by economic hardship and by false rumours circulating online about an open border. Nearly all have since returned to Morocco, but the surge had political repercussions around Europe.

At least 80 people died in the attempt, according to official tallies. Human rights groups have reported higher figures.

Would-be migrants are now also being urged to cross into Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa. Together, Ceuta and Melilla form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry said in Wednesday’s (August 12) statement that “all necessary measures have been taken to counter” any new “illegal crossing attempt.” It said the security monitoring is part of a “system of continuous vigilance — particularly in areas near the Ceuta and Melilla crossings.”

The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the number of personnel deployed or the equipment being used.

Videos shared on social media show hundreds of police officers in riot gear deployed on the Moroccan side of the border, alongside water cannons and ambulances. Local news site Hespress said equipment for deploying tear gas and stun grenades had also been brought to the border.

A senior Moroccan diplomat previously said that more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border with Ceuta each day, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. The diplomat was not authorised to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Interior Ministry also said Moroccan authorities had arrested and were investigating “a group of people suspected of carrying out incitement activities.” It did not elaborate.

Ms. Robles, visiting Ceuta, said it was “everyone’s responsibility to deal with those who are directing these movements, including through social media,” and called “any aggression against Ceuta or Melilla … an aggression against Spain as a whole.”

“This must be absolutely clear: what happened cannot happen again,” she said.

Spain’s Civil Guard shared a message on social media seemingly aimed at migrants, in French and Spanish.

“Neither the border with Spain is open; nor will it be. There are new containment barriers. If you cross them, you will be returned. Don’t let yourself be deceived,” it said.

The Instagram post was accompanied by a photo of a containment barrier in Ceuta that was constructed in the immediate aftermath of the July 31 border breach.