Rabat: A mass attempt by around 40,000 individuals to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta resulted in 11 fatalities, as reported by Morocco's Interior Ministry on Sunday. Ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi provided these figures during an evening news conference addressing the recent events at crossing points leading to Ceuta and Melilla, marking the first official statement from Rabat concerning these migration attempts.

According to Anadolu Agency, El Khalfi indicated that approximately 40,000 migrants aimed to reach Ceuta, with around 1,135 targeting Melilla. He noted that all who managed to reach Melilla were immediately returned. El Khalfi detailed that the deaths included one individual who fell from a rocky area near Ceuta and ten others who drowned during the crossing attempts.

El Khalfi pointed out that the migration attempts were not spontaneous. They were influenced by misinformation on social media, human trafficking networks, and misinterpretations of recent legal and administrative developments, which led migrants to believe they could reach Europe without facing immediate consequences. He mentioned that recent Spanish court rulings limiting immediate returns for some intercepted irregular migrants at sea reinforced the belief that reaching Ceuta by sea could prevent immediate return.

Moroccan authorities are working with Spanish counterparts to confirm reports of additional deaths in Ceuta and to identify those involved. Meanwhile, Spanish media reported that the number of bodies recovered in Ceuta had increased to 88, as authorities completed a 500-meter floating security barrier at the Tarajal border crossing to deter further migration attempts.

In recent days, tens of thousands of Moroccans have gathered near the border fence, attempting to reach Ceuta and continue to Europe through irregular routes. Ceuta and Melilla, located on Morocco's northern coast, are Spanish-administered enclaves constituting the European Union's only land borders with Africa.