The city of Ceuta has been experiencing moments of tension since this Sunday due to the massive attempt of immigrants to enter through the border fence.

Hundreds of people attempted to breach the border fence of the autonomous North African city of Ceuta and cross into European territory on Sunday, with Moroccan authorities temporarily closing the border.

In order to deal with the situation, which was caused by a widespread call through social media, the Moroccan authorities mobilized a detachment of the security forces in the town of Castilejos (also known as Fnidek), which is located next to Ceuta.

Images released by social networking sites of police convoys make clear the scale of the operation.

Despite tight security measures, which included raids on neighborhoods and villages and checkpoints on roads leading to the border, about 200 to 400 young Africans managed to cross the fence at around 11:00 on Sunday.

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The Spanish security authorities deployed their large detachments along the European side of the border, with the situation being brought under control, according to the newspaper “El Faro de Ceuta,” shortly after noon.

Moroccan authorities said that during last August, security forces prevented 14,648 irregular immigrants from entering Spanish cities in north Africa, representing almost a third of all failed irregular entry attempts so far this year.

The tension has been heightened by a social media campaign using hashtags such as “Quedamos el 15-9” or “15-9 Fnideq-Ceuta.” In response, Moroccan authorities have stepped up their efforts, making arrests in several cities in the Maghreb country of people inciting illegal immigration through platforms such as X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Security is investigating an increase in messages on social networks encouraging people to enter Ceuta and Melilla through “fake news.” An example of this disinformation suggested exploiting the end of Operation Crossing the Straits, which facilitated the passage of 1.7 million passengers between Morocco and Spain.

This siege of the border fence comes just two weeks after many immigrants arrived in Ceuta by sea, prompting the city to appeal to the Spanish government for help.

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