Tensions are mounting in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta after protesters gathered on Sunday amid heightened security along the border with Morocco and renewed fears of a fresh wave of migrant crossings.
Demonstrators carried Spanish flags and placards bearing messages such as “Long live Spain” and “Asylum” as security forces maintained the closure of the border.
The protest followed renewed calls on social media for mass crossings into Ceuta, prompting Spanish authorities to warn against any attempt to enter the territory illegally.
Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles urged caution and warned against a repeat of previous mass-entry attempts, as security measures were reinforced along the frontier.
The latest tensions come after a deadly border rush in late July that officially left at least 80 people dead. Human rights organisations, however, have suggested that the actual death toll could be significantly higher.
In early August, the sudden arrival of around 72,000 migrants also triggered a humanitarian crisis and reignited debate in Spain over migration and border controls. Most of those who arrived were subsequently returned.
With fresh calls for mass crossings circulating online and Morocco tightening security along the border, concerns are growing that Ceuta could once again become a flashpoint in Europe’s wider migration crisis.
