At least 75 people drowned trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, as authorities reported almost all of the 72,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco in recent days had been returned. The mass crossings overwhelmed the city and its reception facilities, exposing the brutal realities of Europe's border regime. Spanish authorities confirmed the deaths occurred as people attempted to swim across the stretch of sea by the border, now protected by a floating barrier.
Deterrence Through Death
The Interior Ministry stated that nearly all who entered Ceuta had been sent back to Morocco. This systematic pushback operation followed a period of intense crossings that brought at least 72,000 people into the Spanish territory in a matter of days. The city remained tense, confused, and fearful, according to Julián López Gómez, reporting from the Autonomous City.
Among those still in Ceuta, authorities identified at least 1,000 minors. These children face an uncertain future within a system designed for deterrence, not protection. The visible deployment of state security forces did little to ease the anguish felt by both residents and migrants.
Migrants described their desperate circumstances. "There is no money in Morocco. That is why we came to Spain," one migrant explained. Another added, "My father, my whole family are poor. Now we are here and we try to get by. We sleep on the street. We are here, life is very hard, but…" When asked about returning, he simply said, "For now, here. I don’t know how long I can hold out here." These accounts underscore the economic desperation driving movement, a reality often ignored by European policy makers.
The Criminalisation of Movement
Reporter López Gómez documented operations where groups of migrants were intercepted on central beaches. He later witnessed other migrants being taken off buses at the border and escorted back to their entry points. This swift, often brutal, process of return is a hallmark of Fortress Europe, criminalising the fundamental human right to seek safety and opportunity.
Local protests erupted two days after the crossings began, with demonstrators chanting "Ceuta is not for sale" and "Pedro Sánchez, resign!" One woman expressed her fear, stating she hadn't slept for two nights and had shut herself away at home. Another participant called for military deployment, arguing, "This is a military city. The 3,000 soldiers we have should have been deployed to defend it." The fear was reportedly heightened by the fact that the migrants were "overwhelmingly men," a common trope used to dehumanise those seeking refuge.
Halima Ahmed Iacobi, coordinator for the NGO Luna Blanca, challenged the narrative of a "pull factor." Her organisation assisted at least 4,000 people since the crisis began, handing out 2,000 food portions in just two hours. "We are human first and foremost. We cannot allow people to die of hunger. So, where does humanity come in? What do we care about the pull factor?" she asked. Iacobi dismissed the idea that migrants are lured by promises of "red carpets" and "1,500 or 1,800 euros in benefits," calling it a rumour spread on social media.
Solidarity Amidst State Cruelty
Luna Blanca's actions highlight the crucial role of migrant solidarity networks in the face of state-sanctioned cruelty. While authorities focused on returns and border enforcement, NGOs provided essential humanitarian aid. The reporter observed migrants roaming beaches, streets, parks, and wasteland, a stark image of the human cost of Europe's restrictive border policies. The Autonomous City, four days after the start of the crisis, appeared to face an uncertain struggle to regain normality amidst a mix of indignation, fear, anguish, incomprehension, mistrust, bewilderment, and compassion.