The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has activated 324 public order officers in Ceuta following warnings of a potential mass border crossing on Wednesday.
The alert mobilization includes 180 National Police officers and 144 Civil Guard agents who must remain available without leave or rest days until Wednesday, September 23, when Morocco holds legislative elections. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced the border reinforcement on Monday during statements in the city.
The order was issued on Saturday after the Superior Headquarters of Ceuta and the City Command received warnings of a new mass crossing attempt. Standard leave and rest days have been suspended for all personnel in the Police Intervention Units and Prevention and Response Units of the National Police, as well as the Reserve and Security Groups of the Civil Guard.
The current security deployment contrasts sharply with the conditions on July 30 and July 31, when between 75,000 and 85,000 people entered Ceuta, mostly by swimming. Those figures were calculated by the General Commissariat for Foreigners and Borders in an official report submitted to Spain's National Court, the Audiencia Nacional.
At that time, the Spanish government reduced security warnings despite receiving intelligence about a potential mass entry. On the final day of July, only five officers were stationed along the border fence.
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city located on the northern coast of Africa, sharing a land border with Morocco. Spain's National Court, known as the Audiencia Nacional, is a centralized judicial body in Madrid that handles major state security, terrorism, and border-related legal cases.
Moroccan Security Measures and Border Operations
Security has also been heightened on the Moroccan side of the border, where at least 3,000 police and military personnel are monitoring the divide between the two countries, according to a report published on Monday by Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Moroccan authorities have installed metal fences on the beach that extend several meters into the ocean to prevent individuals from swimming across. Most of the migrants who entered at the end of July swam into Spanish territory following what officials described as a malicious interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling.
Civilian and military security bodies in Spain have raised questions about Morocco's role during irregular entry attempts. Spanish police reported that uniformed Moroccan gendarmes acted with total passivity during the July assault, with some officers actively guiding migrants and providing instructions on how to proceed.
Video footage showed uniformed Moroccan officers opening trucks containing hundreds of people in front of the border gates. Additionally, a document submitted to Judge Maria Tardon detailed the presence of plainclothes agents mixed among the crowd who gave instructions on entering Spain and appeared to hold authority over the gendarmes.
Spain's intelligence services previously noted Morocco's effective control over border flows two weeks after the initial assault, when another mass crossing call was detected in mid-August. On that occasion, the Alaouite government deployed military units on the ground to stop the attempt, and Moroccan authorities plan to implement the same military deployment for the upcoming election day.
The term Alaouite government refers to the ruling monarchy of Morocco, which has governed the kingdom since the 17th century. Spain's Civil Guard, popularly known in Spain as the Benemerita, is a gendarmerie force responsible for national security and border protection alongside the National Police.
Daily Intelligence Alerts and Local Outbreaks
Spanish intelligence services have received warnings regarding potential new border entries daily during the 50 days following the July crisis. Operatives have spent the past several weeks evaluating warnings, cross-referencing information, and preparing intelligence briefs, with the upcoming Moroccan legislative elections identified as the most significant threat received during the period.
Alongside the riot police deployment, the Interior Ministry has steadily reinforced police numbers in Ceuta since August as local conditions grew increasingly tense. Tensions have risen due to clashes among migrants as well as escalating resident protests, including a Sunday incident where a crowd attacked a local Assembly deputy's vehicle with stones and strikes after mistaking it for a car belonging to the Navarre organization Negu Gorria.
The Federal Police Union warned yesterday that there is a risk of the migration crisis transforming into an ideological confrontation that could further heighten local tension. The union stated that the social peace of Ceuta is at stake, urging that action be taken to lower tension, and added that recent incidents should serve as a clear warning.
In related developments, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares is scheduled to meet his Moroccan counterpart in New York to address the return of migrants who remain in Ceuta. Meanwhile, military associations have demanded protection for troops deployed in Ceuta, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will not attend a reception hosted by Donald Trump for the United Nations General Assembly despite being invited.
