Hundreds of migrants crossed the border from Morocco into the occupied city of Ceuta by swimming through dense fog, between Sunday and early Monday, Reuters reported, citing local police reports.
Over the past 24 hours, large numbers of migrants have been intercepted off or on Tarajal beach, on the southern edge of the Ceuta enclave near the Moroccan border.
“There was pressure and we handled it with Morocco,” a spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Ceuta told Reuters.
However, he declined to disclose the exact number of migrants who attempted to cross or were returned to Morocco.
Ceuta and Melilla, located on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, are the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. The enclaves are frequently used by migrants attempting to reach Europe.
Generally, migrants seeking to cross the border are detained and deported to Morocco, unless they are minors or asylum seekers.
Last week on August 21, Moroccan authorities intercepted a large group of would-be migrants attempting to reach Ceuta. Among the group, a relatively small number managed to reach the shores, including 12 Algerian adults and four minors.
The group, consisting of over 350 migrants from various nationalities—Algerians, Moroccans, and Pakistanis—departed from Tangier in hopes of entering Europe.
At least 23 individuals lost their lives two years ago in a fatal stampede as approximately 2,000 migrants attempted to breach the border into Melilla. Following this incident, the border fence collapsed.