More than 100 migrants ‘clash with police as they try to reach Ceuta’_t

Moroccan riot police clashed with dozens of migrants as they tried to illegally reach Ceuta, the little Spanish enclave in northern Africa, it has been reported. Armed police in Morocco reportedly intercepted 111 migrants on Saturday, in what appeared to be the second mass attempt of migrant crossing in the area in less than a month.

Among the migrants intercepted as they were allegedly attempting to cross the border between Morocco and Ceuta, 109 were from sub-Saharan Africa and two were Moroccan, Spanish news agency Efe reports. Citing sources, the news agency reports police clashed with the migrants around three kilometres from Ceuta, near the Moroccan town of Fnideq. The forces allegedly used tear gas to disperse the migrant and were helped by helicopters.

Tensions have been high on the border between Spain and Morocco ahead of this weekend.

Messages have reportedly circulated on social media platforms encouraging people to try and illegally reach the small EU enclave on Saturday.

One message, as reported by the Telegraph, read: “The Ceuta border will be open on the 15th [of August], a public holiday in Spain”.

Security forces were deployed along both sides of the border amid fears of a new mass migrant crossing attempt.

All annual leave was cancelled for Spanish troops ahead of the weekend, with forces rushed to the small territory in North Africa to deal with another potential crisis.

This comes after, in late July, more than 70,000 migrants illegally crossed into Ceuta from Morocco within just hours.

At least 88 people died in the attempt, with many drowning as they tried to swim into the EU territory.

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