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Ceuta grapples with aftermath of massive border surge after most migrants leave territory
Most of the 60,000 North African migrants who entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta had been returned to Morocco by Sunday, officials said, but a cloud remains over the tiny enclave.
At least 72 people died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, Spanish authorities said Sunday. The humanitarian crisis caused by the sudden rush of people has reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond.
The unauthorized arrivals on Thursday and Friday of 50,000 to 60,000, mostly young men, swelled Ceuta's population by more than half.
Over the weekend, far-right, anti-immigrant Spanish politicians and well-known right-wing influencers descended on the city, sparking counterprotests. Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, visited Ceuta on Sunday, slamming the Spanish government for the surge in migrant arrivals, which he called "an invasion."