At least 84 people have drowned attempting to swim to Ceuta, with the Civil Guard recovering 67 bodies in Spanish waters and Moroccan authorities finding 17 more along their coast, after more than 1,500 migrants entered the enclave over the past week.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced the installation of a 500-metre pneumatic barrier at Tarajal beach to deter crossings. Around 7,000 minors remain in Ceuta entitled to local protection, while Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas warned that normality has not returned. King Felipe VI voiced indignation over events in Ceuta and Melilla.
Tensions persist on the ground. A local employers' union called for commercial closures until security is guaranteed, and some returnees described Ceuta as prison-like. The surge, which saw 50,000 migrants enter in a single day, has been linked to King Mohammed VI's displeasure with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's visit to Algeria.