The autonomous city of Ceuta faces an extremely serious migration crisis marked by a tragic increase in the number of deaths during mass crossings by swimming from Morocco.
The estimates on the fatalities reflect a devastating toll: while police sources count 71 deaths, the Unified Association of Civil Guards raises the figure to more than one hundred people drowned in the attempt to reach Spanish territory, making this event the deadliest episode recorded at the country's borders.
Given the scale of the mass arrivals, the Ministry of the Interior implemented a strict containment measure in the border area. Spanish authorities installed physical barriers on the breakwater, including a 500-meter-long inflatable structure combined with a line of buoys deployed by the Navy.
These measures, backed by the presence of military and security forces, halted attempts at new crossings and drastically reduced the flow of people at the Tarajal border crossing. The flow of migrants gradually decreased over the weekend, driven by pressure from security forces, the announcement of a bilateral agreement for repatriations, and the lack of basic supplies in the town.
Police estimates calculate that more than 73.000 people have already returned to Morocco, showing a drastic decrease in voluntary departures while security forces maintain surveillance on the border perimeter.
