Morocco starts militarising its border and installing barbed wire

On 29 and 30 July, the border saw more than 70,000 people enter the Spanish city territory.

Morocco has now deployed riot police and started to install barbed wire and other barriers at the most sensitive points.

According to the Moroccan authorities, the aim is to control all access routes to Ceuta by road and sea. News reports on the deployment state that special contingents from several security and military forces are already in place in the area.

Joint patrols are monitoring all the roads leading from Tangier to Ceuta. Similarly, buses and taxis heading for the Spanish city, one of the usual means of transport for those wishing to cross the border illegally, are under constant surveillance.

One of the most sensitive areas is the woodland between Ceuta and Castillejos (Fnideq, in Moroccan). Migrants often take refuge there while waiting to cross the border and reach Spanish territory.

Moroccan patrols are now combing these areas to remove anyone attempting to reach Spain. According to the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, dozens of undocumented migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, are already under arrest.

Another measure Morocco is taking is the installation of barbed wire and metal posts in the areas where, on 30 July, thousands of people threw themselves into the water to reach Ceuta.

One of the key factors in this migration crisis stems from the Spanish Supreme Court's ruling banning the immediate deportation of those who swim across the border, even if they do so illegally. To deter a new wave of migrants, the security forces are erecting fences that extend about ten metres out into the sea.

On the beaches of Castillejo, from where hundreds of people set out to sea two weeks ago, the Moroccan authorities are also installing metal barriers and wire to make access more difficult.

Rolls of wire with sharp points have been the subject of controversy in the past due to the danger they pose to those who scale border fences. Spain stopped using it in 2007, but Morocco hasn't.

According to the Ministry of the Interior of the Moroccan government, several people suspected of inciting illegal migration via the internet have already been arrested during police checks.

According to the ministry, anyone attempting to evade the checks will be arrested and prosecuted immediately.

The local government has asked Spain for greater cooperation and again demanded a swifter process for handing over the unaccompanied minors who crossed into Ceuta at the end of July.

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