Ceuta Death Toll Climbs as Spain Deports Thousands
The death toll from the mass breach of Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta rose over the weekend to at least thirty-four, and by some accounts closer to sixty, as bodies were recovered along the border and coast. Spain said it had returned the great majority of the roughly 50,000 people who crossed — some 48,000 — to Morocco, and deployed troops to the frontier. Italy was reported to have suspended border arrangements with Spain in response.
The scale of the crossing, one of the largest on record, has convulsed European migration politics and strained relations between Madrid, Rabat and other EU capitals. Spain’s rapid returns drew criticism from rights groups, who questioned whether proper procedures were followed in sending so many people back so quickly. The European Commission called the situation “unacceptable”, and several governments moved to tighten their own borders. The episode has handed fresh ammunition to the continent’s hard right. Watch the final toll and whether the returns face legal challenge.