Morocco arrests 111 as Spain fortifies Ceuta after deadly rush
Why it matters: More than 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after a July crossing that killed at least 94 and exposed a legal gap at the border.
Moroccan police arrested at least 111 people on Aug. 15 as they tried to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, while Spain kept extra police and soldiers in place to head off another mass crossing. The crackdown followed social media calls for a new border rush two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta in a deadly surge. Spanish and Moroccan authorities put confirmed deaths from the July 29-30 crossing at 94 to 96. Madrid has since installed a maritime barrier and sent more than 500 additional officers, bringing the police total in Ceuta to more than 1,600. Border worker unions said they had warned Spain weeks earlier that a court ruling on sea arrivals and online misinformation could trigger a larger breach.