Spain announced Saturday the installation of a 500-meter (1,600-foot) containment barrier along the sea border between its North African territory of Ceuta and neighboring Morocco. This measure follows a surge of between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants who breached the frontier earlier this week.
The death toll has risen to 67, attributed to drownings and stampedes, according to the Spanish government. Some migrants who reached Ceuta’s Tarajal beach by swimming were met by soldiers and escorted back across the border. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that the majority of those who entered Ceuta have been returned to Morocco.
"We are relentless against those who break the law," Grande-Marlaska told journalists in Ceuta. He defended the cooperation with Morocco, stating that it was instrumental in reverting the situation within 24 hours and calling Rabat "a reliable partner."
Residents of Ceuta reported an uneasy calm after days of disruption. Ceuta’s President Juan Jesús Vivas noted that while the return process is progressing, the city has not yet returned to normal. In the Moroccan city of Tangier, the main railway station saw many people returning from Ceuta or the border.
Aspiring migrants encountered difficulties, with some unable to cross and facing shortages of food near the border. Taxi and bus services reportedly refused to transport individuals toward the border for fear of authorities. Police were present on roads leading to Fnideq, the Moroccan town bordering Ceuta, checking vehicles.
Despite the efforts to return migrants, some expressed determination to remain in Ceuta. Mohamed Hatri, a 23-year-old Moroccan, stated, "But even if they close it down … we’re round to stay here, whether we’re hungry or not."