Ceuta: Most who breached border have left, Spain says

Most individuals who crossed into Ceuta have departed, according to Spanish authorities. The border crisis in Ceuta, Spain's North African territory, has ignited discussions across Europe regarding the country's migration policy. European governments have attempted to regulate immigration, yet Spain has opted for a distinct strategy, recently unveiling a proposal to grant legal status to up to 500,000 undocumented migrants.

Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, and his socialist government have come under heavy criticism from politicians across Spain's political spectrum this week. Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the conservative People's Party toured Ceuta, condemning Sanchez for his inability to deter the border surge. Far-right party Vox's Santiago Abascal, also present in Ceuta on Sunday, labeled the government's handling of the situation as an "invasion," an "act of war," and an "assault on the sovereignty and security of Spaniards."

Vox's leader, Abascal, went even further, calling for the scrapping of the EU-Morocco agreement, which serves as a partial free trade area. Far-right influencer and European Parliament member Alvise Perez, during a clash with rival protesters in Ceuta, called for the expulsion of migrants. The city, largely inhabited by individuals of Moroccan descent, has remained on edge following the deadly border rush.

Spanish authorities have been actively searching nearby waters for additional bodies after the border breach, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 60,000 migrants entering Ceuta. Most of them returned to Morocco by Sunday, according to local officials. At least 72 fatalities were reported during the events on Thursday and Friday, with some drowning and others killed in stampedes at a breakwater barrier and a border fence.

Medical personnel treated over 1,000 individuals, and while the situation in Ceuta has significantly improved, cleanup efforts are still underway to restore normalcy.