The death toll and scale of the migrant surge into Ceuta have emerged as flashpoints between Madrid and Rabat, with Spain counting at least 72 fatalities among more than 60,000 arrivals while Morocco acknowledges only 11 deaths and 40,000 attempted crossings. Local authorities in Ceuta have recorded 88 bodies in the enclave's morgue.
Rabat blames human-trafficking networks and misleading online information for the crisis. Madrid has deployed 3,000 security personnel to the city, boosting police and civil guard numbers by a third. Fresh clashes erupted between officers and migrant groups after the earlier mass arrivals that prompted emergency declarations.
Around 860 unaccompanied minors remain stranded in Ceuta, and makeshift camps have sprawled along nearby beaches. Far-right figures Santiago Abascal and Alvise Pérez denounced the arrivals as an invasion, directing blame at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.