Spain has cancelled all leave for military personnel stationed in Ceuta as authorities brace for a possible fresh mass migration attempt from Morocco, amid reports that people-smuggling networks are using social media to organise another assault on the territory.<\/p>\n
The order, issued by Spain\u2019s Defence Ministry, suspends holidays and other time off for troops in the North African exclave until further notice, except in \u201cexceptional duly justified cases\u201d.<\/p>\n
The directive cited \u201cservice requirements\u201d and the need to increase military activity in Ceuta in response to the migration crisis.<\/p>\n
The decision comes after a major influx of migrants into the Spanish territory and growing warnings<\/a> that another attempt could be mounted around August 15.<\/p>\n Spanish authorities are reportedly monitoring online group chats and social media channels<\/a> where information about a potential new crossing is circulating.<\/p>\n Ceuta is one of the European Union\u2019s few land borders with Africa and has repeatedly become a flashpoint during periods of heightened migration pressure.<\/p>\n The latest security<\/a> measures underline the extent to which Madrid views the threat as more than a conventional border-management problem.<\/p>\n People-smuggling networks have increasingly used social media to circulate information, attract migrants and exploit uncertainty surrounding border controls<\/a>.<\/p>\n TikTok said it had activated a dedicated task force to monitor the developing situation and direct users searching for relevant information towards sources it described as reliable.<\/p>\n A spokesperson said:\u00a0\u201cIn response to the evolving situation in Ceuta, we have mobilised a dedicated task force as part of our well-established global<\/a> protocol for responding to emergency events.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also connecting our community to reliable information, including from Newtral in Spain and MapExpress in Morocco, when they search for related keywords.\u201d<\/p>\n Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, said its teams were monitoring developments<\/a> and removing content that facilitates or solicits human-smuggling services.<\/p>\n The Spanish military presence has already been reinforced in response to the crisis, placing additional pressure on personnel stationed in the territory.<\/p>\n The cancellation of leave is therefore a significant escalation in Madrid\u2019s preparations, effectively keeping troops at maximum readiness as officials attempt to determine whether the online warnings represent a genuine operational threat or coordinated misinformation.<\/p>\n For Spain, the timing is particularly sensitive.<\/p>\n A large-scale attempt to breach the Ceuta border would place fresh pressure on Spanish security forces and could rapidly become an international political crisis<\/a> involving Madrid, Rabat and the wider EU.<\/p>\n It would also test the effectiveness of the physical border, surveillance systems and security deployments put in place after previous migration surges<\/a>.<\/p>\n With troops ordered to remain on duty and social media companies monitoring suspected smuggling activity, Ceuta is now waiting for the next move<\/a>.<\/p>\n