Spain bolsters Ceuta border as migrant death toll rises to 67 amid fresh EU pressure
Has started moving to seal part of the seawall around Ceuta after a sudden surge of migrants from Morocco left the tiny North African. Spain — full details…
Spain has started moving to seal part of the seawall around Ceuta after a sudden surge of migrants from Morocco left the tiny North African enclave overwhelmed and at least 67 people dead. The deaths came as tens of thousands crossed or tried to cross into the Spanish territory over two days of chaos.
The Spanish government said Saturday it would install a 500-meter containment barrier along the breakwater fence into the sea. Security forces were still escorting exhausted migrants back across the border, while Ceuta residents woke to a fragile calm after streets and reception centers filled beyond capacity.
Border pressure mounts
Spain’s Interior Ministry said close to 50,000 migrants rushed into Ceuta from Thursday morning, though more than 48,300 had already been returned to Morocco by later Friday. In another update, Spanish authorities said the total number of people who had crossed into the enclave had risen to about 60,000.
Some died by drowning. Others were killed in a stampede near the breakwater barrier. Footage showed groups, many appearing to be young men, slipping past the Tarajal fence in waves. The crossings left parks and streets crowded, and the centers meant to receive migrants were swamped.
Political fallout
Ceuta’s President Juan Jesus Vivas said life in the city had been disrupted by the border incident and that the return of people had begun, though he insisted the process still had to be completed. Ceuta, a Spanish territory in northern Africa, has long been seen as a gateway for people trying to reach Europe, and it has progressively fortified its border to deal with repeated unauthorized crossings.
The crisis has also landed in European politics. EU criticism of Spain’s handling of the situation has sharpened, with European leaders turning on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over the migration surge, according to Euractiv.
Rabat and Madrid trade messages
Morocco’s ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, said the crisis was not wanted by Morocco and that her country would prefer “legal, orderly, and safe immigration for everyone.” The remark underscored the diplomatic strain around a border that has become one of Europe’s most sensitive flashpoints.
Spanish authorities now face the next test: whether the new barrier will slow the crossings and whether the returns to Morocco can hold, after one of the deadliest episodes the enclave has seen in years.
