The death toll from a mass rush into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco reached at least 72 on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, after five more bodies were found along Ceuta’s coast, officials said.

More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea in an unprecedented surge that began on Thursday, July 30th, at one of the European Union’s only two land borders with Africa, prompting alarm across the bloc. Spanish authorities reported that over 48,000 migrants returned to Morocco within 48 hours, with additional returns over the weekend.

Miguel Angel Perez, the Spanish government representative in Ceuta, told reporters that in addition to the 72 fatalities, more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services since the surge began. He noted that the situation in the city had improved markedly but acknowledged that more work remained to re-establish normality.

Some migrants drowned or were crushed while trying to climb a breakwater and border fence. Many were driven to migrate by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumours.

Sources