Eighteen migrants have been buried in Ceuta's Muslim cemetery following Spain’s deadliest border crisis three weeks ago, during which more than 90 people died attempting to cross into the Spanish territory. The burials took place amidst ongoing challenges in identifying the deceased and repatriating their bodies.

The migrants were interred in cinderblock plots marked with numbers, a measure taken in case their families claim the bodies in the future. An Islamic cleric officiated the services, reciting prayers as funeral workers lowered the white body bags. The cemetery’s acting manager, Said Mohammed, confirmed that all individuals buried on Friday were men.

The influx of more than 72,000 people into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, was reportedly fueled by misinformation, poverty, and a lack of opportunities. Many of the migrants who perished drowned or were killed in a stampede while trying to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, called for the burials in Ceuta to be suspended until all efforts to identify and repatriate the bodies to Morocco had been exhausted. The NGO described the burials as a "new human tragedy" compounding the existing "disaster of displacement and missing persons." They urged Morocco's foreign ministry to facilitate the return of bodies to families for dignified burial.

A spokesperson for Ceuta’s city government stated that the necessary paperwork for repatriation was complete but that the Moroccan government had not yet accepted it. The Moroccan foreign ministry has not responded to inquiries regarding the burials or suggestions that it is obstructing the repatriation of identified bodies.

While most of the individuals who entered Ceuta in late July have since returned to Morocco, Spanish national authorities estimate that around 5,000 migrants, including women and children, may still remain in the city, contributing to an ongoing humanitarian situation. Moroccan and Spanish authorities have attributed the events to social media rumors and human smuggling networks, while migrants cited economic hardship as their motivation for the dangerous journey.

Under Islamic custom, bodies are buried facing Mecca. For these migrants, mainland Europe lay just across the sea, their intended destination.