Ceuta, Spain, is recovering from a massive migrant surge that saw 60,000 migrants enter the tiny Spanish exclave in North Africa. The migrants, mostly young men, swam, scrambled, and later charged into Ceuta, overwhelming the city’s resources. By Sunday, most of the migrants had walked back to Morocco, but some remained in the hills surrounding the city.

Aftermath and Reactions

Spanish civil guard ships continued searching for bodies in the waters near the urban beach where the migrants had breached the border. Shops in Ceuta reopened, and residents and tourists filled the open-air terraces, restaurants, and cafes. However, the city was still grappling with the aftermath of the border surge, with locals disagreeing on what caused it and who was to blame.

At least 72 migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, according to Spanish authorities. The humanitarian crisis has reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond.

Some migrants who returned to Morocco described a border that was effectively open and said authorities did little as they watched thousands of people cross. The unauthorized arrivals on Thursday and Friday swelled Ceuta’s population by more than half.

Far-right, anti-immigrant Spanish politicians and influencers descended on the city, sparking counterprotests that included members of the Spanish city’s large Muslim population, many of whom are of Moroccan descent. Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over the situation, asking God for solutions of peace, stability, and justice.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.