Ceuta: 60,000 cross the border, 57 died

Around 60,000 migrants crossed into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta over a period of days. Of these, approximately 45,000 returned to neighbouring Morocco within hours after authorities ordered them to turn around.

There were reports of fatalities among those attempting to cross the border. According to Spain, at least 72 people died, while Morocco's interior ministry reported 11 deaths, with 10 due to drowning and one from a fall in a rocky area. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights put the number of victims at nearly 130, with dozens more missing, according to Free Malaysia Today.

The sudden surge of migrants was attributed to the "malicious exploitation" of social media and the spread of misleading information, as well as misinterpretations of legal provisions, by Morocco's interior ministry. The incident sparked a diplomatic row within the EU, with some member states criticizing Spain's migration policies.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Free Malaysia Today, Al-Monitor — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.