Emboldened by support from the US, Morocco could be exploiting its border crisis with Spain to push for new concessions on the status of two Spanish\u00a0enclaves in North Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Morocco said\u00a0on\u00a0Wednesday\u00a0(12 August) that it had\u00a0tightened\u00a0security along its border with Spain, amid concerns that the border could face a second mass crossing in the coming days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Messages\u00a0have been\u00a0circulating in Moroccan social media groups\u00a0about\u00a0a new rush on Ceuta\u2019s border on Saturday, in what could be a major challenge to Spain\u2019s border-control resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In its Wednesday statement, Morocco\u2019s\u00a0interior\u00a0ministry said that \u201call necessary measures have been taken to counter\u201d any new \u201cillegal crossing attempt.\u201d <\/p>\n
It also said the security monitoring waas part of a \u201csystem of continuous vigilance \u2014 particularly in areas near the Ceuta and Melilla [the Spanish enclaves] crossings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, officials in Madrid are also anxious about the\u00a0quiet\u00a0role of president Donald Trump\u2019s administration in giving Morocco the confidence to challenge both the EU\u2019s external border and\u00a0Spain\u2019s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, which are part of the African continent.\u00a0<\/p>\n