Rabat – Spain has activated preventive measures and is coordinating with Moroccan authorities following social media calls for a new attempt to enter Ceuta on September 23, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Monday.
Speaking to Canal Sur Radio and Catalunya Ràdio, Albares said the latest messages circulating online have so far failed to gain the same traction as those linked to the mass entry into Ceuta on July 30.
He said the earlier calls were accompanied by what he described as widespread disinformation linked to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling on the return of people who entered Ceuta by sea.
The expected September 23 mobilization has circulated on social media and messaging platforms in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Spanish media identified September 23 as a possible date for a new attempt after an earlier call for a mass crossing on August 15 failed to produce a large-scale movement. The date also coincides with Morocco’s legislative elections.
Spanish media, including Antena 3 and RTVE, reported that messages circulating online called for a new mobilization.
RTVE said it analyzed more than 12,000 messages, audio recordings and videos exchanged in WhatsApp groups between August 4 and 13. The material initially focused on August 15 before some users began discussing later dates, including September 23.
Read also: September 23 Emerges as Possible Date for New Mass Crossing Attempt Into Ceuta
The Spanish government has now launched a campaign against what it considers false information. Albares said Spanish consulates in Morocco and the Embassy in Rabat are providing information about the consequences of irregular entry into Ceuta and Melilla, stressing that such entry does not grant a right to remain indefinitely in Spain or elsewhere in Europe.
The Spanish Embassy in Morocco has also urged would-be irregular migrants not to be misled by false information. It said the Supreme Court ruling does not modify Spain’s immigration law, does not declare border rejection illegal and does not prevent returns.
Albares added that Madrid is working with Moroccan authorities on preventive measures and could deploy a deterrence operation if necessary to prevent another mass crossing.
The minister said he is in contact with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to counter misinformation about mass entries and ensure that the necessary personnel can be deployed to deter or contain any attempted crossing.
Albares said he speaks with Bourita almost daily, including about the return of migrants once the necessary case files are ready.
Albares also addressed broader bilateral relations, saying statements questioning the Spanish status of Ceuta and Melilla damage Spain-Morocco relations. He recalled that Spain had summoned Morocco’s ambassador after comments by two Moroccan ministers.
Yet he concluded by once again stressing the importance of diplomatic and European dialogue with Morocco to coordinate what he described as one of the world’s most complex borders.