Ceuta Border Crisis: Death Toll Rises Amid Migrant Surge
Ceuta's Ongoing Border Crisis
Ceuta (Spain), Aug 1: The Spanish government has reported that the death toll from the border crisis in Ceuta, involving Morocco, has reached 67. This figure includes individuals who drowned and those who lost their lives in a stampede while attempting to cross a breakwater barrier.
In response to the crisis, Spain is constructing a 500-meter-long containment barrier along the breakwater fence into the sea, following an influx of between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants who breached the territory's border between Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday morning, a few weary migrants who managed to swim to Tarajal beach in Ceuta were met by soldiers who escorted them back to Morocco. According to Spain's interior ministry, most of those who entered the Spanish territory have already returned to Morocco.
After several days of turmoil and crowded streets filled with individuals seeking a better life in Spain, residents of Ceuta experienced a tense calm on Saturday.
Despite this, the sense of security for the city's 84,000 residents remains shaken.
Ceuta's President, Juan Jesus Vivas, stated, "The border incident has disrupted life in this city. The return of individuals has begun successfully, but the process needs to be completed. The city has not yet returned to normal."
In Morocco, at the main railway station in Tangier, migrants who returned from Ceuta or those who aimed to reach the European Union were seen sleeping on the ground, visibly exhausted, as onlookers observed from a distance.
One aspiring migrant, Abdalah, shared his experience: "I attempted to cross but failed. I stayed near the Ceuta border for two days without finding anything to eat," he said, requesting anonymity due to fears of repercussions for his illegal crossing attempt.
Along the road leading to Fnideq, a Moroccan town adjacent to Ceuta, many migrants were spotted walking toward the fence, some barefoot, seemingly hoping for another chance.
Taxi drivers and bus operators were declining to transport them, fearing backlash from authorities. Police were stationed along the road, inspecting every vehicle heading toward Fnideq.
However, some migrants who successfully reached Ceuta were determined to remain. Among them was 23-year-old Moroccan, Mohamed Hatri, who expressed frustration: "They've shut everything down to prevent us from buying food, trying to force us back to our country. But even if they close it down, we're here to stay, whether we're hungry or not." -- Oubachir reported from Fnideq, Morocco.