In Ceuta, there have been fatalities following a mass influx of migrants, and hundreds of people are missing
At least 99 people died following a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, and dozens more are considered missing. Hundreds of Moroccans have arrived in the border town of Fnideq in search of their relatives.
In the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, located near Ceuta, hundreds of people are showing photos of their missing loved ones, hoping to get at least some information about their fate.
Last week, about 72,000 people made a mass crossing into the Spanish enclave, drawing the attention of the international community.
According to local authorities, at least 88 people died in Ceuta, with another 11 deaths recorded on Moroccan territory. In addition, dozens of people are still considered missing.
One woman who traveled to the border from Tangier said her unemployed son may have been among those trying to reach Spain.
“He didn’t tell me he was going to cross. It’s a tragedy,” she said.
According to Spain’s interior minister, about 70,000 people who crossed the border late last week have been returned to Morocco in recent days.
It is reported that thousands of people arrived in Fnideq after messages spread on TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp claiming that the border was allegedly open for crossing.
Madrid and Rabat quickly reached an agreement to return most of the migrants in less than 48 hours. At the same time, Spanish human rights organizations expressed concern that some of the people may have been returned to Morocco without the opportunity to apply for international protection.
According to the Spanish government, about 2,000 migrants remain in Ceuta.
Among them are at least 862 unaccompanied minors; according to UNICEF estimates, dozens of other children may be on the city’s streets without adequate protection.
Spanish police have already opened a special office to receive reports of missing persons.
A video released by Spanish media, in which a 12-year-old boy pleads not to be returned to Morocco, has caused further concern. After bystanders intervened, pointing out the ban on deporting unaccompanied minors, the procedure to return the child was halted.
Although the active phase of the events has ended, the ultimate causes of the mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta remain unclear. Both the Spanish and Moroccan sides continue to analyze the situation.
This is reported by The Guardian.
Europol and the European External Action Service (EEAS) are investigating who is behind a large-scale disinformation campaign regarding the migration situation in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
As a reminder, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reported that most of the migrants who illegally entered the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta have already returned to Morocco. According to her, none of them reached mainland Spain or other European Union countries.
Thousands of people breached the Spanish border in Ceuta: why a new migration crisis began and what Madrid will do.
Spain has reported an exodus of migrants from Ceuta.
