Morocco Tightens Security in Beni Ansar Amid Renewed Migration Attempts Toward Melilla

Rabat – Security has been tightened in Beni Ansar, in Morocco’s Nador province, as authorities remain on alert over possible renewed attempts by migrants to cross toward Melilla, according to local reports.

The heightened security comes after several group attempts to reach the Spanish-occupied city in recent days. The Beni Ansar crossing was closed for around 36 hours during the incidents before gradually reopening to people and vehicles.

Security forces have maintained a strong presence around the crossing and nearby areas, while movement through the border zone has continued. The measures come as calls for new crossings continue to circulate on social media.

According to Spanish newspaper El País, five of the most active groups, with more than 200,000 members combined, stopped operating. Monitoring also found that some of the activity had moved to public groups and closed networks, particularly WhatsApp.

The report also found that the Nador-Melilla route had become a main target of some calls for group crossings, rather than simply an alternative to the route toward Ceuta. This came as groups of migrants were recorded arriving in the Nador area.

Calls for another group attempt around August 15 have also been detected. The report said the mobilization capacity could be lower than that seen before the events at the end of July. It also warned that crossings could shift to areas other than Ceuta.

Spanish media reported that 1,323 attempts to enter Melilla were recorded during the period linked to the Ceuta crisis. Around 260 people remained inside Melilla after the events.

Meanwhile, figures shared by local media on Friday showed that prosecutors in Nador are pursuing cases against 52 people, including 18 minors, over attempts linked to crossings toward Melilla.

Moroccan authorities continue to monitor Beni Ansar and the surrounding border area as online calls remain under scrutiny.