Death toll from migrant rush into Ceuta rises to 72, 1,000 more being treated by health services

The death toll from a mass migrant attempt to enter Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta has climbed to at least 72, officials confirmed Sunday, after five additional bodies were discovered along the coast.

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In addition to the fatalities, more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services since Thursday.

An unprecedented surge saw over 50,000 people cross into Ceuta from Morocco starting Thursday, marking one of the European Union's few land borders with Africa. Spanish authorities reported that more than 48,000 individuals returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with others departing over the weekend. In addition to the fatalities, health services treated over 1,000 people since Thursday, though the situation in the city has reportedly improved.

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It pains me deeply that young people are dying at sea. It’s not right that, in the year 2026, women with children as young as two months old should be crossing the sea only to die.

Many migrants were driven by economic hardship and lured by social media rumors. The perilous journey saw some drown and others crushed while attempting to climb a breakwater and border fence. The situation has deeply affected observers, with one French national in Ceuta expressing sorrow over the deaths of young people and families, questioning why such desperate measures are necessary when basic needs are unmet in their home countries.

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In Morocco, there’s food, there’s everything we need. If we don’t have a decent job, we should go on strike and demand our rights from the government. We shouldn’t be dying at sea, it’s not right.

Authorities have bolstered police and army patrols and installed a floating barrier off Ceuta. The incident has alarmed the European bloc, prompting 22 EU member states to call for coordinated action to protect external borders and implement other protective measures.

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The city's morgue had received 88 corpses, including some who had died in earlier, smaller attempts to reach the territory in hazardous night-time swims over the past two weeks.