Ceuta deals with aftermath of mass migrant surge, 72 dead

A massive influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the northern coast of Morocco has left at least 72 people dead and the city grappling with a profound humanitarian and political crisis. Between Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31, tens of thousands of people, predominantly young men, entered the territory by swimming or rushing through border points, dramatically swelling the city's population of approximately 84,000.

Spanish authorities reported that between 50,000 and 60,000 people crossed during the two-day surge, which they attributed to widespread rumors on social media that the border was open. By Sunday, August 2, the situation had visibly calmed, with most of those who crossed having voluntarily returned to Morocco or been pushed back by Spanish police. Shops and cafes reopened as a semblance of normalcy returned, but civil guard ships continued to search the coastal waters for bodies.

The human toll was severe. Officials confirmed at least 72 migrant deaths, most from drowning, though others were killed in a stampede on a breakwater. Among the victims was an 8-year-old boy, whose 17-year-old sister survived and became separated from their mother. She...