Spain has said the death toll in the Ceuta border crisis with Morocco has risen to 72. The victims include migrants who drowned and others who died in a stampede while attempting to cross into the Spanish enclave. In response to the unprecedented influx, Spanish authorities have begun installing a 500-metre-long containment barrier along the sea border between Ceuta and neighbouring Morocco to curb illegal crossings. 

 

Meanwhile, the European Union will hold emergency talks on Tuesday to discuss the migration crisis in Ceuta.  Twenty-two member states have issued a joint letter calling for coordinated action and the strengthening of the EU’s external borders after around 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco earlier this week. Spain’s Interior Ministry said most of the migrants have already returned to Morocco, while authorities on both sides continue efforts to restore order and address the humanitarian situation.

 

The crisis has also prompted a wider European response. Italy has temporarily suspended open-border travel with Spain following the sharp increase in migrant crossings into Ceuta. The decision affects flights and maritime transport between the two countries and temporarily halts Spain’s participation in Italy’s implementation of the Schengen border-free travel arrangements.