Ceuta crisis: Search for more bodies in the sea continues

Search operations are ongoing off the coast of Ceuta as authorities continue to look for missing migrants who drowned during a large-scale attempt to reach the Spanish North Africa enclave. So far, 67 bodies have been recovered from the sea.

The Spanish Guardia Civil is meticulously combing the waters near the coast, according to state broadcaster RTVE. These individuals were attempting to swim from Morocco to the EU territory when they tragically lost their lives. An anonymous police official cited by the newspaper "El País" indicated that "there are more dead in the sea."

Authorities in Ceuta are preparing a facility to potentially accommodate up to 200 bodies. Meanwhile, the coastline, which saw thousands of migrants during the recent surge, appeared calm on Sunday morning, with no attempts to reach the enclave by sea observed. Workers were seen installing buoys to serve as a physical boundary.

Spain had previously deployed a 500-meter inflatable barrier. The combination of the barrier and buoys aims to enhance control and surveillance. This measure also addresses a gap created by a Spanish Supreme Court ruling, which grants individuals arriving irregularly by sea the right to an individual asylum assessment, complicating immediate returns unless a physical barrier is overcome.

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There are more dead in the sea.