Ceuta Death Toll Rises to 67 as Spain Seals Border
The death toll from the mass breach of Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta rose to at least sixty-seven on Saturday, as more bodies were recovered following the crossing of some 49,000 people. Spain said the influx had eased and that migrants were now leaving, and began erecting a containment fence backed by extra troops and Civil Guard. Most of those who crossed have been returned to Morocco.
The episode, one of the largest mass crossings on record, has convulsed European migration politics and drawn condemnation from Brussels. Rights groups questioned the speed and legality of Spain’s mass returns, while other governments moved to tighten their own frontiers; Italy was reported to have suspended border arrangements with Madrid. The scenes have handed a potent issue to Europe’s hard right ahead of a run of elections. Spain blamed people-smuggling gangs for orchestrating the surge. Watch the final toll and whether the returns are challenged in court.