72 Dead As Record 60,000 Migrants Surge Into Spain's Ceuta
A mass influx of approximately 60,000 migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta resulted in at least 72 deaths. Most migrants have since returned to Morocco following the surge, which has sparked international criticism of Spain's immigration policies.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis surrounding migration routes between Africa and Europe.
At least 72 people died during the mass influx in recent days of migrants into Spain's Ceuta enclave, when tens of thousands of people mostly swam around the border post from Morocco, local officials said on Sunday.Most of the estimated 60,000 people who rushed into Spain's north African territory have returned to Morocco since the territory's largest mass migrant crossing."The latest figure that we have is 72," the government's delegate to Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez Triano, told reporters, when asked about the number of fatalities.The previous death count was 67.Spanish police and troops patrolled the streets of Ceuta on Sunday as the enclave largely returned to normal after the sudden mass influx of migrants from Morocco that had occurred between Wednesday and Friday.Only small groups of migrants were still walking around after most who crossed the small border barrier returned voluntarily to Morocco in 48 hours.AFP on Saturday saw migrant…
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