Death Toll Rises To 72 After Mass Migrant Crossing Into Ceuta.

 

At least 72 people died during last week’s mass influx of migrants into Spain’s Ceuta enclave, local authorities have confirmed, after tens of thousands of people attempted to cross into the territory from Morocco.

The latest death toll was disclosed on Sunday by Ceuta government delegate Miguel Angel Perez Triano, who said the number of fatalities had risen from the previously reported 67.

“The latest figure that we have is 72,” Perez Triano told reporters when asked about the number of deaths.

An estimated 60,000 people reportedly rushed towards Ceuta, with many attempting to swim around the border barrier separating the Spanish enclave from Morocco in what became the territory’s largest mass migrant crossing.

Most of those who entered Ceuta have since returned voluntarily to Morocco, with authorities saying the majority went back within 48 hours of the influx.

Spanish police and troops were deployed across the enclave on Sunday as the territory gradually returned to normal, although small groups of migrants remained in the area.

Outside a housing project near Ceuta port, Spanish soldiers detained nine migrants who were reportedly exhausted and sitting on the pavement. An armoured vehicle was stationed nearby as troops guarded the area.

Rescue teams also deployed small inflatable boats to patrol the waters around the border barrier, which extends into the Mediterranean Sea. A new 500-metre floating boom had also been installed to reinforce security around the crossing point.

Spain’s Civil Guard was seen escorting migrants from buses towards the border post as authorities facilitated their return to Morocco.

The mass crossing has triggered an international crisis for Spain, with the country facing criticism from some European partners over its immigration policies.

Spanish authorities have blamed criminal gangs for spreading rumours that a recent ruling by the country’s Supreme Court would make it easier for migrants to enter the territory.

The sudden influx has placed renewed attention on the challenges facing Spain and the wider European Union in managing migration along its borders with North Africa.