Spain installs barrier after Ceuta border deaths rise to 67

The death toll from the Ceuta border crisis rose to 67, according to Spain's interior ministry, after migrants drowned or were trampled while attempting to cross a breakwater fence. The Spanish government announced on Saturday that a 500-meter containment barrier is being installed along the breakwater and extending into the sea.

Between Thursday and Friday, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants breached the small Spanish enclave's frontier, prompting a massive security response. A few migrants who swam to Ceuta's Tarajal beach on Saturday were intercepted by soldiers and escorted back across the border. Authorities say most of those who entered have already been returned to Morocco.

Ceuta's President Juan Jesús Vivas said the incident disrupted daily life and that the return of migrants had begun, but the city had not yet returned to normal. In nearby Tangier, migrants who had failed to reach Ceuta were observed sleeping on the floor of the main railway station.

Individual migrants described the hardships they faced, including a lack of food and the inability to cross the border. One 23-year-old Moroccan, Mohamed Hatri, said authorities had closed shops to pressure migrants to leave, yet many remained determined to stay.

Police continue to monitor roads leading to the Moroccan town of Fnideq, checking vehicles and limiting movement as authorities work to complete the repatriation process.