Madrid–Rabat: Europe and the Arabs

Spanish authorities have stepped up security measures along the borders surrounding the city of Ceuta following reports of hundreds of migrants gathering on the Moroccan side, raising fears of a new attempt at a mass border breach.
Citing informed sources, the newspaper *El Español* reported that units of the armed forces and specialized riot police were deployed on Tuesday morning to the Benzú crossing, north of Ceuta, in response to an alert regarding a potential border breach.
Security and military personnel headed to the border areas after hundreds of migrants were spotted waiting in the hills on the Moroccan side; some had attempted—unsuccessfully—to scale the border fence, according to a report by the Cairo-based news site *Youm7* on Wednesday morning.
Against this backdrop, the Spanish Interior Ministry has increased the total number of police officers in both Ceuta and Melilla, anticipating renewed attempts at mass crossings in the coming days—particularly on the 23rd of this month, the date scheduled for Morocco's general elections. This heightened security posture is expected to remain in place for at least the next few weeks.
These developments unfold against the backdrop of the crisis Ceuta experienced late last July, when approximately 72,000 migrants crossed the border from Morocco, prompting authorities at the time to implement exceptional measures to secure the border and manage the irregular influx of people. According to media reports from Rabat, Moroccan and Spanish authorities have stepped up coordination and readiness at the border with the occupied city of Ceuta. This follows calls circulating on social media inciting a new mass attempt to reach the city on Wednesday, September 23, 2026—coinciding with legislative elections in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that Pedro Sánchez’s government has initiated preventive measures in coordination with Moroccan authorities. These measures aim to thwart any irregular migration attempts and prevent a recurrence of the events witnessed in the region over the past few months, as reported by the newspaper *El Diario*.
Speaking to the radio stations Canal Sur and Catalunya Ràdio, the official explained that the messages circulating on digital platforms have not—so far—elicited the same level of engagement as previous calls, nor have they generated the impact seen during the mobilization for the crossing attempt at the end of last July.
Alongside these on-the-ground measures, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has launched a campaign to counter what it describes as "disinformation." Madrid’s embassy in Rabat and Spanish consulates across Morocco are participating by publishing clarifications regarding the legal consequences of attempting to enter the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla irregularly.
The campaign emphasizes that entering the two occupied cities illegally grants migrants no automatic right to reside in Spain or elsewhere in the European Union. Furthermore, the Spanish embassy in Morocco denied that a recent Supreme Court ruling had altered immigration laws or prevented the return of individuals who cross the border irregularly.
The Spanish Foreign Minister urged those aspiring to migrate illegally not to be swayed by anonymous calls or to jeopardize their futures... ...and their money in the hands of human trafficking networks, emphasizing that coordination with Morocco includes implementing preventive measures and deploying additional security personnel when necessary to deter any mass crossing attempt.
José Manuel Albares noted that the measures taken at the border on August 15 helped thwart a similar call to action, deeming early intervention and information sharing with the Moroccan side essential to preventing any sudden influx toward the occupied city.
The Spanish Foreign Minister confirmed that he maintains near-daily contact with Nasser Bourita—Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates—to counter circulating rumors, mobilize the necessary personnel to prevent any breach attempts, and coordinate the repatriation of migrants once their legal processing is complete.