The toll of the migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta continues to worsen. Spanish authorities say the death toll has reached 75 people, while around 70,000 migrants have been returned or left Spanish territory.
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that of the nearly 72,000 people who entered Ceuta during the unprecedented wave of migrants, the vast majority have been repatriated to Morocco. According to him, the authorities' response was immediate and the situation at the border has now stabilized.
The crisis erupted after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, entering via the land border or swimming around border barriers.
Dozens of people lost their lives trying to enter Spanish territory, mainly due to drowning and the chaos created by the huge influx of people. In the days following the incident, the death toll has gradually increased, reaching 75.
Although most migrants have returned to Morocco, several thousand people are still in Ceuta, including hundreds of unaccompanied minors, putting pressure on the city's reception centers and social services.
The crisis has brought the issue of protecting external borders, the fight against migrant smuggling networks, and the management of illegal migration back to the center of debate in the European Union.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for strengthening measures to protect EU borders following dramatic developments in Ceuta.
