The death toll from last Thursday’s mass crossing into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco has risen to 72, after five more bodies were found along Ceuta’s coastline on Sunday, officials said.
The Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, told reporters that more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services since Thursday, adding that the situation in the city had improved markedly but that more remained to be done to restore normality.
Some migrants drowned while attempting the crossing by sea, while others were crushed trying to scale a breakwater and border fence. Many had been driven to make the crossing by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumours circulating in Morocco.
More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea in an unprecedented surge that began on Thursday, in what authorities described as the largest single migrant crossing into the enclave on record.
More than 48,000 voluntarily returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with more returning over the weekend.
A French national in Ceuta with family in Morocco, Karima Abenaz, said: “It pains me deeply that young people are dying at sea.
It’s not right that, in the year 2026, women with children as young as two months old should be crossing the sea only to die.”
The incident has triggered a diplomatic crisis for Spain with European partners, with 22 EU member states writing to demand coordinated action to protect external borders.
Italy went further, suspending passport-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for one month.
Spain has rejected suggestions that its recently announced programme to grant residency to more than half a million undocumented people had encouraged the rush.
(The Whistler)