Ceuta, August 2, 2026: The death toll from last week’s mass migrant influx into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to 72, local authorities confirmed on Sunday, following one of the largest migration surges ever witnessed at the territory’s border with Morocco.
According to Ceuta’s government delegate, Miguel Angel Perez Triano, the latest confirmed death toll stands at 72, up from the previously reported 67 fatalities.
The humanitarian crisis unfolded after an estimated 60,000 migrants, most of them swimming around the border barrier from Morocco, entered the Spanish enclave in an unprecedented mass crossing. Authorities said the vast majority of those migrants have voluntarily returned to Morocco over the past 48 hours.
Spanish police and military personnel remained deployed across Ceuta on Sunday as the enclave gradually returned to normal. Only small groups of migrants were still present in the city, while security forces continued patrols around key areas.
Near Ceuta’s port, Spanish soldiers detained a group of exhausted migrants before escorting them for processing. Rescue teams also continued searching waters along the Mediterranean coastline, where authorities have reinforced border security with a new 500-metre floating barrier extending into the sea.
Civil Guard officers were also transporting migrants back to the border crossing for their return to Morocco, while municipal workers cleared debris, clothing and personal belongings left behind during the mass crossing.
The crisis has triggered diplomatic tensions within Europe, with several European countries criticising Spain’s immigration policies following the unprecedented influx.
Spanish authorities blamed criminal smuggling networks for spreading false rumours on social media that a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court had made entry into the country easier for migrants.
Some analysts have also suggested Morocco may have relaxed border controls to increase diplomatic pressure on Madrid amid Spain’s improving relations with neighbouring Algeria. A similar situation occurred in 2021, when approximately 10,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta after Morocco temporarily eased border controls.
Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the latest crisis.
The European Union is expected to hold an emergency video conference on Tuesday after 22 member states jointly called for an urgent coordinated response aimed at preventing further uncontrolled migration across the bloc’s external borders.
Meanwhile, Italy has temporarily suspended aspects of its Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month, tightening cross-border travel controls.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised what he described as the “selfish” response of some European partners, urging greater solidarity in addressing the migration emergency.
