A migrant who crossed into Spain from Morocco drinks water distributed by Spanish soldiers in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)
At least 72 people died during last week’s mass crossing from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, a Spanish official said on Aug. 2.
“The latest figure that we have is 72,” Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, the Spanish government’s delegate in Ceuta, told reporters. The previous official toll was 67.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry later said it had confirmed 11 deaths on its coast, including 10 people who drowned and one who fell from a rocky area. The ministry said it was working with Spanish authorities to verify reports of additional deaths in Ceuta.
Spanish estimates indicate that up to 60,000 people entered the enclave during the crossing, many by swimming around a border barrier extending into the Mediterranean. Morocco put the number at around 40,000.
Most of those who crossed had returned voluntarily to Morocco by the weekend, Spanish officials said.
Police and troops continued to patrol Ceuta on Aug. 2, although the streets and border area were largely calm. Spanish rescue teams searched the waters near a newly installed 500-meter floating barrier, while small groups of migrants remained in the enclave.
Spain has blamed human-smuggling networks for spreading misleading claims about a recent Supreme Court ruling. Authorities said migrants had been led to believe that people reaching Ceuta by sea could not be returned immediately.
The European Union is due to hold a video meeting on Aug. 4 after leaders from 22 member states called for a coordinated response to the crossings.
Italy has temporarily reintroduced checks on arrivals from Spain for one month, prompting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to criticize what he described as the “selfish” response of some European governments.
