Hundreds of migrants trying to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta by land and sea were arrested by Moroccan security forces on Sunday, Moroccan state media reported.
Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were arrested on Saturday while attempting to enter Ceuta.
Authorities also arrested 61 Moroccans accused of facilitating the migration attempts, the broadcaster reported.
The attempted crossings followed a surge in social media posts calling on migrants to make their way to Ceuta, a Spanish city on Morocco’s northern coast.
In response, Moroccan and Spanish authorities beefed up security presence and limited movement toward the area.
Moroccan security forces stand guard as migrants attempt to enter Ceuta. Credit: AP
The latest attempt comes two weeks after tens of thousands of would-be migrants, driven by poverty and misinformation, rushed toward Ceuta in one of the deadliest migration crises to hit the region.
At least 90 people died on both sides of the border, according to official numbers, while human rights groups reported higher figures.
A senior Moroccan diplomat previously told the Associated Press that more than 20,000 Moroccan security personnel are deployed along the border with Ceuta each day, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Thousands of migrants from across Africa and beyond travel to Morocco each year, fleeing conflict, poverty and instability and seeking a route into Europe.
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Many attempt to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave on Morocco’s northern coast, hoping eventually to make their way to mainland Spain and better economic opportunities.
The wave of migrants that entered Ceuta two weeks ago sparked a diplomatic incident between Spain and several of its fellow EU nations.
Most notably, Italy’s right-wing government reintroduced border checks for people entering their country from Spain, with Madrid introducing similar measures in response.
The anti-migrant rhetoric and criticism of Spain’s handling of the issue triggered an angry response from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who called for more cooperative efforts to tackle illegal immigration.
He also pointed out how the vast majority of the tens of thousands of migrants who entered Ceuta left the territory within hours of arriving.
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