Castillejos (Morocco) .– Morocco has arrested 70 people in the last few hours for their alleged involvement in the violent incidents recorded after the irregular crossing of tens of thousands of people into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, a migration crisis that has claimed at least 57 lives.
The detainees are being investigated for crimes related to attempted homicide, arson, and damage to public and private property, according to sources close to the investigation who spoke to EFE.
The charges stem from the clashes that occurred early Friday morning in Fnideq (Castillejos), where minority groups entrenched in the hills near the border crossing with Ceuta confronted Moroccan security forces and set several vehicles on fire.
The crisis erupted on Thursday, when about 60,000 migrants, according to estimates by the Government of Ceuta, crossed irregularly into the Spanish autonomous city.
Closed businesses
The agreement reached between Madrid and Rabat for the immediate repatriation of migrants in an irregular situation, together with the temporary closure of businesses in Ceuta following the crisis, has led to the return of some 53,000 people to Fnideq during the day on Friday.
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However, this massive return has overwhelmed the capacity of Fnideq, a city of less than 80,000 inhabitants, where shops, restaurants, and banks remain closed for fear of new episodes of violence.
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Although thousands of migrants have already begun their return to their cities of origin, many continue to wander the streets, spend the night in parks and public spaces, and look for some means of transport to leave this town in northern Morocco, a traditional vacation destination for Moroccan families.
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Meanwhile, cleaning crews are working to remove debris, stones, and the remains of burnt-out vehicles in the vicinity of the border with Ceuta, where the situation is progressively beginning to return to normal.
