A recent mass rush into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco has resulted in the deaths of at least 72 people, with five more bodies found along Ceuta’s coast, officials said. The unprecedented surge, which began on Thursday, saw over 50,000 people cross into Ceuta by land and sea, prompting alarm across the European Union.

Response to the Crisis

Spanish authorities reported that more than 48,000 people had returned to Morocco within 48 hours, and more followed over the weekend. The Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, stated that, in addition to the 72 fatalities, over 1,000 people had been treated by health services since Thursday.

Some migrants drowned, while others were crushed trying to climb a breakwater and border fence. Many had been driven to migrate by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumors. The situation in the city has improved, but more remains to be done to re-establish normality.

A French national in Ceuta, Karima Abenaz, expressed her deep concern over the situation, saying, ‘It pains me deeply that young people are dying at sea. It’s not right that, in the year 2026, women with children as young as two months old should be crossing the sea only to die.’

Measures to Prevent Future Incidents

Authorities have reinforced police and army patrols and installed a 500-meter floating barrier off Ceuta. Twenty-two EU member states have written a letter asking for coordinated action to protect external borders and other measures after the Ceuta incident. Italy has suspended passport-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for one month.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.