The death toll stemming from a surge of migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta has reached 67, Spanish authorities reported Saturday. Among the fatalities were individuals who drowned and others who died in a stampede at a breakwater barrier.
Spain announced the installation of a 500-meter containment barrier along a breakwater fence into the sea. This measure followed the breach of Ceuta's frontier by an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants between Thursday and Friday.
Many of the migrants who managed to reach Ceuta's Tarajal beach were escorted back across the border by soldiers. The Spanish interior ministry stated that the majority of those who entered the territory have already returned to Morocco.
Following days of chaos and large numbers of people in the streets, Ceuta experienced an uneasy calm on Saturday. Juan Jesus Vivas, President of Ceuta, described the situation as having disrupted life in the autonomous city of 84,000 residents and noted that the city had not yet returned to normal, though the process of returning people had begun satisfactorily.
In Morocco, at Tangier's main railway station, migrants who had returned from Ceuta or had intended to reach the European Union rested on the ground. Some individuals who attempted to cross expressed difficulties in finding sustenance and feared retaliation for their actions.
On roads leading to Fnideq, the Moroccan town bordering Ceuta, migrants were observed walking toward the fence, some barefoot, in attempts to cross. Taxi and bus services reportedly refused to transport them due to fear of authorities, and police were deployed to check vehicles heading toward Fnideq.
Despite the efforts to return them, some migrants expressed a determination to remain in Ceuta, citing restrictions that made it difficult to purchase food. One Moroccan migrant stated, "But even if they close it down … we’re round to stay here, whether we’re hungry or not."