Morocco has challenged Spain’s reported death toll from the recent mass migrant crossings into Ceuta, with both countries presenting sharply different casualty figures following the incident.
On Sunday, Spain’s government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez, said the number of people who died while attempting to reach the Spanish enclave had risen to at least 72. His statement came a day after Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, announced that at least 67 migrants had lost their lives during the crossing.
Moroccan authorities, however, rejected the figures. The country’s Interior Ministry said only 11 people died in the incident, explaining that 10 victims drowned while another died after falling from a rocky area.
Pérez also disclosed that more than 1,000 people had received medical treatment since Thursday, in addition to the reported fatalities.
He said the situation in Ceuta had improved significantly but noted that efforts were still ongoing to restore normalcy.
Spanish authorities said at least 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco, a figure exceeding half of the enclave’s population.
Reports indicated that many migrants were driven by economic hardship and encouraged by rumours circulating on social media.
Spain further stated on Saturday that almost all of the approximately 60,000 migrants had since returned to Morocco.
Ceuta remains one of the European Union’s only two land borders with Africa, and the large-scale migration has heightened concerns across Europe, prompting several EU member states to strengthen border security measures.