Spanish authorities continued searching the waters off Ceuta over the weekend for additional victims after an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants \u2014 most of them young men \u2014 poured into the tiny Spanish territory in North Africa<\/a>. Officials said many of the victims drowned while attempting the crossing, while others were killed in a stampede near a breakwater barrier.<\/p>\n The mass crossing unfolded over several days, temporarily increasing Ceuta’s population of roughly 84,000 by more than half. By Sunday, many migrants had returned to neighboring Morocco, while others remained in the city or tried to avoid authorities.<\/p>\n SPAIN DEPLOYS MILITARY AFTER THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS OVERWHELM BORDER ENCLAVE, AT LEAST 18 DEAD<\/a><\/p>\n Migrants who crossed into Spain return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/p>\n The deaths have intensified the political fight over immigration<\/a> in Spain and across Europe. Far-right leaders called for tighter border security and the removal of migrants who remained in the enclave.<\/p>\n Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s nationalist Vox party, visited Ceuta<\/a> on Sunday and blasted the country’s government, calling the migrant influx “an invasion” and accusing officials of failing to protect Spain’s borders.<\/p>\n Guardia Civil officers recover the body of a migrant from the water in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n Tensions were also on display Saturday when European Parliament member Alvise P\u00e9rez faced angry counterprotesters during a rally in Ceuta. P\u00e9rez eventually took shelter inside a nearby bar before police escorted him away.<\/p>\n MIGRANT CRISIS PUSHES ITALY TO RESTORE BORDER CHECKS WITH SPAIN, TESTING EUROPE’S OPEN-BORDER SYSTEM<\/a><\/p>\n Many local residents expressed sorrow over the loss of life, even as the political debate intensified.<\/p>\n “It pains me deeply that young people are dying at sea<\/a>. It’s not right that, in the year 2026, women with children as young as two months old should be crossing the sea only to die,” Karima Abenaz, a French national in Ceuta with family in Morocco, told Reuters.<\/p>\n “In Morocco, there’s food, there’s everything we need,” she said. “If we don’t have a decent job, we should go on strike and demand our rights from the government. We shouldn’t be dying at sea. It’s not right.”<\/p>\n Escorted by the Spanish army, migrants who crossed into Spain return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Antonio Sempere)<\/p>\n WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SPANISH GOVERNMENT AS THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS SURGE FROM MOROCCO, EMERGENCY REQUEST DENIED<\/a><\/p>\n Other local residents said the migrants themselves should not be blamed.<\/p>\n Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, a waiter in Ceuta, told The Associated Press that responsibility lies with the authorities.<\/p>\n “If you open the border, of course everyone comes in, but the young men aren’t to blame. The authorities are responsible,” he said.<\/p>\n Others said the events had tested Ceuta’s reputation as a city where Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities have long lived side by side. Some also voiced concerns about security and questioned whether another mass crossing could happen again.<\/p>\n![\"Migrants](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ceuta-migrant-crisis-1.jpg\")
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