The death toll from a mass rush of migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco has reached at least 72, officials reported Sunday, as five more bodies were discovered along the coast. The unprecedented surge, which began Thursday, saw more than 50,000 people attempt to enter Ceuta by land and sea, marking an alarming event at one of the European Union’s only two land borders with Africa.
Spanish authorities stated that more than 48,000 individuals returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with additional returns occurring over the weekend. In total, over 1,000 people received medical attention since Thursday, according to Miguel Angel Perez, the Spanish government representative in Ceuta. He noted that while the situation had improved, efforts to restore normalcy were ongoing.
Migrants attempted to cross by climbing a breakwater and border fence, resulting in some drownings and deaths from being crushed. Economic hardship and social media rumors were cited as drivers for migration. One French national in Ceuta, Karima Abenaz, expressed sorrow over the deaths of young people and infants during perilous sea crossings, questioning the circumstances under which vulnerable individuals are forced to migrate.
Ceuta leader Juan Jesus Vivas informed the newspaper El Pais that the city's morgue received 88 bodies, including those who died in earlier, smaller attempts to reach the territory by sea. Moroccan authorities are also reportedly recovering bodies, though official figures were not immediately available. In response to the influx, Spain reinforced police and army patrols and deployed a 1,600-foot floating barrier off Ceuta. Twenty-two EU member states have called for coordinated action to protect external borders following the incident, and Italy temporarily suspended passport-free Schengen travel with Spain for one month.
Spain has historically maintained a more open stance on migrants compared to many other EU countries, including a program offering residency to over half a million undocumented individuals. Officials have refuted suggestions that this program encouraged the surge into Ceuta, emphasizing that irregular entrants to Ceuta cannot travel to mainland Spain or the wider Schengen zone.