Spain is reinforcing security at the Ceuta border after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco in one of the largest crossings in recent years
Ceuta: The death toll in the Spain-Morocco border crisis has risen to 67, with victims including migrants who drowned and others killed in a stampede while attempting to cross a breakwater barrier into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Spanish authorities said around 60,000 migrants breached Ceuta’s frontier between Thursday and Friday, prompting the government to announce a 500-metre containment barrier extending into the sea to strengthen border security.
Most migrants have since returned to Morocco, although thousands remain in the enclave, straining accommodation, healthcare and emergency services. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged additional security personnel and humanitarian assistance.
Ceuta, along with Melilla, forms the European Union’s only land border with Africa and has long been a key entry point for migrants seeking to reach Europe. Officials believe organised human trafficking networks, misinformation about Spain’s immigration policies and economic hardship in Morocco contributed to the unprecedented influx.
Spain is coordinating with Morocco to return migrants under existing bilateral agreements while investigating trafficking networks believed to have facilitated the mass crossings. The crisis has also renewed debate within the European Union over migration, border security and humanitarian obligations.
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