Doha – In recent weeks, a campaign launched from Morocco has been circulating rapidly on social media, calling for a mass unauthorized entry attempt into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this Sunday, September 15.
The viral messages, spread primarily through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, are urging Moroccan youth to gather in the border town of Fnideq and then attempt to illegally cross en masse into Ceuta via the El Tarajal border.
According to sources consulted by the Spanish newspaper Vozpópuli, short videos posted to social media accounts with thousands of followers depict images of previous gatherings in Fnideq, located just across from Ceuta’s El Tarajal border crossing.
The posts concisely encourage followers to swim or walk across the border into Ceuta this Sunday, using emojis including Moroccan and Spanish flags.
“The peace be upon you, dear brothers. I’m going to Fnideq from Marrakech,” announced one member of a WhatsApp group dedicated to planning the mass crossing, as reported by El Independiente.
“Who wants to join on Saturday?” asked another user, in a Facebook group that sees hundreds of anonymous comments daily on the topic, accompanied by emojis of a swimmer and Spanish and Moroccan flags.
“May God make it easy for everyone to leave this country,” responded another, offering a blessing. Posts include maps of potential routes, calls for help, and queries about “Saturday’s plan” as well as arrivals in Fnideq.
“Keep an eye on what could happen on September 15 after the calls on Facebook to storm the borders of Ceuta or Melilla,” warned Mohamed Ben Aissa, president of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights, in an interview with El Independiente. The NGO tracks desperate attempts by Moroccan youth to swim to the Spanish enclave.
Moroccan crackdown on organizers
In response to the planned mass crossing, Moroccan authorities have already detained one of the main instigators for crimes related to promoting illegal immigration, as reported by Vozpópuli.
The 20-year-old male was arrested in Tetouan on suspicion of spreading false information and encouraging unlawful migration via TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, according to The Objective.
Moroccan police are conducting extensive investigations to identify others responsible for the viral calls to action, a difficult task given the opacity of online anonymity.
Morocco’s Directorate General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGST) has increased cooperation to locate and arrest those behind the digital content inciting irregular migration, with investigations aimed at dismantling the organized network mobilizing youth seeking a “better life” in Europe.
The perilous journey
The treacherous voyage from the beaches of Fnideq to Ceuta has claimed numerous lives in recent months. According to El Independiente, at least five people have perished since August, with another seven reported missing, including several Algerian nationals.
The grim reality of these dangerous crossings was underscored on Monday morning when the Spanish Civil Guard recovered the body of a migrant who had presumably tried to swim from Morocco to Ceuta. The body was found floating near the Desnarigado area in the southern bay of the city.
The Northern Observatory for Human Rights reports that the arduous journey involves swimming for 10 to 15 hours, covering a distance of 10 kilometers from M’diq beach.
Those brave enough to attempt the crossing from Belyouch can make it in just 2 hours but must contend with powerful marine currents and treacherous rocks along the way.
This year alone, the death toll has reached a staggering 37, with an additional 33 individuals missing, painting a harrowing picture of the human cost of this new mode of migration.
The closure of the Tarajal border crossing has pushed many Moroccans from the north to attempt irregular migration, a trend that has grown significantly in recent times.
Nabil Bazzi, president of the local section of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, explained to Nass Media that before the border closure, “no one thought of throwing themselves into the sea or migrating in this way. People went to work in Ceuta with or without papers.”
The majority of those preparing to embark on this perilous journey are minors from northern Morocco, particularly from Fnideq, Tetouan, and Martil, according to Mohamed Ben Aissa of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights.
The reasons driving this emigration are rooted in social and economic factors, including poverty, the fragility of the system, lack of employment opportunities, and the search for a dignified life.
However, Ben Aissa notes a new and alarming trend: “The majority of people have lost confidence in the [Moroccan] State, in the homeland, and in the future. Losing trust is the most dangerous challenge we face.”
Increased border security measures
Morocco has significantly boosted security in the areas bordering Ceuta to prevent any collective crossing attempts. Police presence has been reinforced in the vicinity of Fnideq, with checkpoints established on main access roads.
“Fnideq is becoming an almost cordoned-off city, especially with the arrival of new Moroccan youth,” according to the independent Moroccan newspaper Nass Media. Up to 500 people have been forcibly displaced by police to cities far from the border like Casablanca, Fez and southern provinces.
In addition to the arrests and relocations, Moroccan authorities have installed barriers along 4 kilometers of Fnideq’s waterfront promenade. Maritime security patrols have also been deployed to intercept any attempted sea crossings towards Ceuta. Those caught are bused to inland areas as part of a strategy to reduce migratory pressure on the Spanish border.
Ceuta strained by migration surge
The major campaign for a mass crossing on September 15 comes as the Spanish enclave of Ceuta is already overwhelmed by skyrocketing irregular migration in recent months. From January to August this year, 1,917 migrants entered Ceuta illegally, a 194% increase from the 650 crossings in the same period of 2023, The Objective reported.
“We are facing an unsustainable situation,” stated Cristina Pérez, the central government’s delegate in Ceuta. Entry attempts are averaging 500 people per day, mainly from Morocco and Algeria, leading to extreme overcrowding in migrant holding centers that are at 422% of capacity. Local officials and medical staff are struggling to cope with record numbers.
The Ceuta migration surge reflects a wider trend in Spain, which has seen a total of 35,456 irregular migrants arrive by land and sea from January-August 2024, a large portion of them to the Canary Islands and Ceuta. This summer has set new records for unlawful migration into Spain, exacerbating a crisis that is testing the country’s border control policies.
Memories of 2021 border crisis
This recent social media campaign, couped with the bolstered Moroccan security response, have observers drawing comparisons to the crisis in May 2021. At that time, thousands poured into Ceuta during a major diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid.
But today, relations between the two countries are much warmer after the Spanish government voiced support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan over the disputed Western Sahara, formerly under Spanish colonial rule.
The Moroccan crackdown on migration to Ceuta appears to signal it will not allow a repeat of the 2021 situation and proves its commitment to border security cooperation with Spain.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, Moroccan authorities prevented a total of 14,648 migrants from illegally entering Ceuta and Melilla during August alone, with the vast majority of the thwarted attempts occurring in the northern Moroccan town of M’diq, bordering Ceuta.
The Moroccan Ministry of Interior reported that since the beginning of 2024, Morocco has aborted a staggering 45,015 attempts by undocumented migrants to reach Europe, with 32% of these attempts occurring in August and directed towards the Spanish enclaves.
Observers are watching closely to see if Morocco’s preventive actions will be enough to stop the planned September 15 mass crossing attempt.
For many frustrated Moroccan youth, the prospect of swimming to Ceuta remains an attractive risk, with a pair of swim trunks, courage, and strong swimming skills the only requirements for a shot at reaching Europe.
Read also: Security Alert in Fnideq as Hundreds of Migrants Attempt to Swim to Ceuta
