Spain and Morocco have tightened security around the Spanish enclave of Ceuta amid fears of a new mass attempt by migrants to cross the border on Saturday.
Spanish media reported that Moroccan security forces had already stopped hundreds of people from trying to cross the heavily guarded frontier.
Those involved are said to be mainly people from sub-Saharan African countries rather than Moroccan nationals.
The two countries are trying to avoid a repeat of the events at the end of July, when 80,000 migrants crossed the border.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry said earlier this week that several people had been arrested after calls were circulated on social media for a mass crossing on Saturday.
Security measures have been stepped up mainly on the Moroccan side in recent days, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.
In the border town of Fnideq, authorities have installed barriers topped with barbed and razor wire. Patrol boats are also monitoring the coast, while water cannon have been positioned at the frontier.
People seeking to cross the border must also pass through numerous checkpoints.
On the Ceuta side, 880 police officers have been deployed, in addition to 2,000 soldiers and 700 Guardia Civil officers.
On 30 July, tens of thousands of migrants reached Ceuta, many of them by swimming. During that mass influx, 83 people died.
Most of the migrants were quickly returned to Morocco, but about 5,000 are still in the Spanish enclave.
