Official Moroccan toll says 11 died trying to reach Ceuta

The figure is significantly lower than the official figure from Spain, which says at least 72 people died.

Moroccan officials claim 11 individuals lost their lives attempting to reach Ceuta, Spain, last week, a figure considerably lower than the 72 fatalities reported by Spanish authorities. Rachid El Khalfi, a spokesman for Morocco's interior ministry, disclosed that among the deceased, 10 drowned while the remaining one fell from a rocky region.

The Moroccan government is collaborating with Spain to verify the death toll and identify bodies found on Spanish soil. The ministry attributes the surge in attempts to reach Ceuta to "malicious exploitation" of social media and "misleading information," as well as "misinterpretations of legal provisions," specifically referencing a July 8 Spanish Supreme Court decision regarding the prompt return of migrants arriving by sea.

Moroccan authorities estimated 40,000 individuals attempted illegal crossings into Ceuta, while another 1,135 tried to enter Melilla, an eastern Spanish territory, but were promptly returned to Morocco. Spain asserts over 60,000 succeeded in entering Ceuta, with most subsequently returning to Morocco. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has reported "nearly 130 victims" with numerous still missing, prompting prosecutors to initiate an official investigation into the incident.

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