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At least 72 people died during a mass influx of migrants into Spain’s Ceuta enclave from Morocco, local officials said on Sunday.
An estimated 60,000 people entered the North African territory, many of them swimming around the border barrier, in the largest mass crossing into Ceuta. Most had returned to Morocco within 48 hours.
Miguel Angel Perez Triano, the Spanish government’s delegate to Ceuta, said the latest death toll had risen to 72 from the previous figure of 67.
Spanish police and troops patrolled Ceuta on Sunday as the enclave largely returned to normal following the influx, which occurred between Wednesday and Friday.
Small groups of migrants remained in the streets, while others gathered in a disused industrial area. Some were seen sleeping on pavements.
Near the port, Spanish soldiers detained nine exhausted migrants who were sitting on the pavement, while Civil Guard officers escorted others back towards the border.
Small inflatable rescue boats patrolled waters around the border barrier, which extends into the Mediterranean, while a new 500-metre floating boom was deployed to reinforce security.
At the border crossing, workers cleared away clothes, rubbish and other items left behind during the mass crossing.
Spain has blamed criminal gangs for spreading rumours that a recent Supreme Court ruling on immigration would make it easier for migrants to enter the country.
Some analysts have also suggested that Morocco may have allowed migrants to cross as a way of putting diplomatic pressure on Spain, whose relations with Rabat have improved in recent years despite Madrid’s closer ties with Morocco’s regional rival, Algeria.
A similar mass crossing occurred in 2021, when about 10,000 migrants entered Ceuta after Morocco eased border controls in an apparent attempt to pressure Spain.
Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the latest crisis.
Some migrants who crossed said they had heard that the border was open, a claim that quickly spread on social media.
The influx has triggered tensions with Spain’s European partners, with the European Union planning a video meeting on Tuesday after 22 member states called for an urgent and coordinated response to prevent further uncontrolled crossings.
Italy also introduced a one-month suspension of its Schengen agreement with Spain on Saturday, temporarily restricting visa-free movement between the two countries.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticised what he called the “selfish” response from some EU members in a letter to European leaders.
Pope Leo XIV also addressed the situation during his Sunday prayers, saying he was following developments with concern and expressing hope for a peaceful, stable and just solution.
