Recent reports from Spanish media indicate that a significant majority of the migrants who crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta over the past weekend have returned to Morocco. Official sources estimate around 73,500 individuals made the journey back. The casualty figures, however, vary widely, with Madrid reporting 72 deaths, the Ceuta government citing 88, and Rabat confirming just 11 fatalities.
On Sunday, August 2, Madrid announced that nearly all of the approximately 60,000 migrants who entered Ceuta illegally from Morocco between Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31, had returned home. Most of these individuals were young Moroccans seeking better opportunities. Special security forces estimate that about 73,500 migrants left Ceuta as the surge occurred last Thursday, as reported by the EFE agency.
According to sources, these numbers may also include migrants who arrived in the days leading up to the massive influx, as well as others who entered and exited multiple times. The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior reported 40,000 attempted illegal crossings into Ceuta and noted that 1,135 individuals tried to reach Melilla, another Spanish enclave sharing a border with Morocco, located 400 kilometers to the east of Ceuta. The ministry confirmed that all individuals who reached Melilla were promptly returned to Moroccan territory.
The atmosphere in Ceuta was notably calm yesterday, with Spanish police and military patrols visible throughout the streets. Only a few migrants remained. French news agency reports indicated that Spanish soldiers apprehended a group of exhausted migrants seated on the ground near construction sites close to the Ceuta port. Inflatable rescue boats were spotted near the border, particularly as Spanish authorities had recently installed a new 500-meter floating barrier to prevent migrants from swimming across.
This barrier, which rises between 30 to 70 centimeters above the water's surface, has a depth of one meter underwater. Furthermore, Spanish Civil Guard members were seen escorting migrants from a bus to the border point for their return to Morocco. The repatriation process was conducted smoothly, while workers cleaned up the debris and clothing left over from the chaos of Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, the French news agency encountered hundreds of unaccompanied minors sleeping outdoors in an abandoned industrial area of Ceuta, all hoping to reach Europe. One adult, Aziz Dabch, expressed the sentiments of many, stating, "All the minors here came to go to Spain." Reports from security sources indicate that it is challenging to accurately determine the number of individuals unwilling to leave Ceuta and return to Morocco, although small groups of three to five migrants can still be seen in various areas.
Discrepancies in Casualty Figures Amid Blame Game
According to the Spanish government, at least 72 migrants lost their lives during these crossing attempts, while the autonomous Ceuta government raised the death toll to 88, as reported by EFE. In contrast, the Moroccan government reported only 11 deaths, citing drowning as the primary cause. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) claimed there were "approximately 130 victims" and many missing persons, calling for an independent investigation into the unprecedented migrant surge between the Moroccan town of Fnideq and the Spanish enclave.
The association condemned the "alarming silence of officials and institutions" in the country, suggesting that this secrecy contributed to the surge. A source connected to human rights circles stated that "the way things transpired" indicates that the mass crossings could not have occurred without the "approval of Moroccan authorities." Meanwhile, Rabat attributes the crisis to the "malicious exploitation" of social media, the "spreading of misinformation," and "misinterpretations of legal rulings," referencing a recent Supreme Court decision in Spain that indicated immediate expulsion does not apply to individuals who arrived by sea.
Some migrants who crossed the border claimed they heard rumors that the border was open, information that spread rapidly on social media. Spain, in turn, has blamed "human smuggling mafias" for the situation. On a diplomatic level, this unprecedented wave of migration has sparked a crisis between Spain and its European partners, who have criticized its migration management policies. Italy has called for Spain's Schengen membership to be suspended, and EU interior ministers are set to address the events in Ceuta in an upcoming remote meeting.
Moreover, former US President Donald Trump and far-right European parties have utilized images from Ceuta to support their anti-immigration policies and criticize their leftist opponents. Trump remarked, "If we weren’t in power, our country would face an invasion at levels that would make what’s happening in Spain seem trivial," describing the situation as an "invasion." As reported by infomigrants.net.
