The death toll in the migrant crisis triggered by a mass attempt to cross from Morocco into Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave, has risen to at least 41, according to local regional President Juan Jesús Vivas. However, he did not provide detailed information on the exact causes of the deaths.

Over the past 24 hours, nearly 60,000 migrants have entered Ceuta by land and sea. Many attempted to reach the Spanish territory by swimming across the sea and bypassing the border barriers.

In response to the escalating situation, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday. Describing the incident as a violation of Spain’s sovereignty, he said the government was deploying all available resources to bring the situation under control.

According to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, authorities have begun rapidly returning newly arrived migrants to Morocco. On Friday alone, around 25,000 migrants were sent back from Ceuta.

Meanwhile, Rachid Sbihi, head of a local association representing Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, described the situation as a severe humanitarian crisis. He said thousands of migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, have been forced to spend the night on sidewalks under the open sky, while many others continue wandering through the city’s streets.

Sbihi said many of the victims drowned while attempting to swim across the sea. Several others reportedly died in a stampede while trying to cross the breakwater at Tarajal Beach, near the Morocco–Ceuta border.

Moroccan security forces also used water cannons in an effort to control the large crowds gathered near the border.

Source: AP