An attempt to illegally enter Spain's part of Africa was foiled
Thousands of migrants rioted for illegal entry into the enclave of Ceuta, part of Spain in Africa. Moroccan police used tear gas against them, and more than 150 people were arrested for calling for illegal migration.
More than 150 people have appeared in a Moroccan court accused of instigating illegal migration, a government spokesman said Thursday, after thousands of illegal immigrants tried unsuccessfully to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Africa.
"As part of the fight against calls for illegal immigration, 152 people were brought before the judge," said the spokesman of the Moroccan government, Mustafa Baytas, at a press conference.
He said a total of about 3,000 people tried to enter Ceuta illegally after appeals on social media, but all attempts to cross had failed.
A police source earlier told AFP that between Monday and Wednesday last week, 60 people were arrested for "creating and spreading false information on social media" for encouraging the "organisation of collective illegal immigration operations".
The enclave of Ceuta and the city of Melilla, located on the Mediterranean coast, is the only territory of the European Union on the African continent. These areas have long attracted illegal immigrants who want to cross into Europe.
On Sunday last week, migrants from Morocco and other parts of Africa, including several minors, made their way to the village of Fnidek on the border with Ceuta.
According to official statistics, one in four Moroccan youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are not in the labor market, are not in education or vocational training.
According to the Ministry of Interior of Morocco, more than 11,300 attempts to cross the Ceuta border and 3,300 to Melilla were prevented in August alone.
In June 2022, about 2,000 people, most of them Sudanese, tried to cross the Melilla border, killing at least 23.
Morocco is one of the main exit points for illegal immigrants hoping to reach Spain by sea.
As of August 15 of this year, more than 22,300 immigrants arrived in the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which is 126% more than in 2023.
