Rabat: A mass attempt by around 40,000 people to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta ended with 11 deaths, Morocco's Interior Ministry said Sunday. Ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi announced the figures at an evening news conference on recent events at crossing points leading to Ceuta and Melilla, marking the first official comment by Rabat on the mass migration attempts.
According to Anadolu Agency, El Khalfi stated that the actual number of migrants heading toward Ceuta reached approximately 40,000, while around 1,135 people aimed for Melilla. He noted that all individuals who managed to reach Melilla were returned immediately. Tragically, one person died after falling from a rocky area near Ceuta, and ten others drowned during the mass crossing attempts.
El Khalfi attributed the crossings to several factors, including misinformation spread on social media, human trafficking networks, and misinterpretations of recent legal and administrative developments which led some migrants to believe they could reach Europe without immediate consequences. He also mentioned that recent Spanish court rulings restricting immediate returns for some irregular migrants intercepted at sea contributed to the belief that reaching Ceuta by sea could allow them to avoid immediate return.
Moroccan authorities are working with their Spanish counterparts to verify reports of additional deaths in Ceuta, including identifying the deceased's identities and nationalities. However, Spanish media reported that the number of bodies recovered in Ceuta had risen to 88, as authorities completed a 500-meter floating security barrier at the Tarajal border crossing to curb further irregular migration attempts.
In recent days, tens of thousands of Moroccans have gathered near the border fence in an attempt to reach Ceuta and continue onward to Europe through irregular migration routes. Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish-administered enclaves on Morocco's northern coast and constitute the European Union's only land borders with the African continent.