Spain announced Friday evening that at least 48,300 migrants who entered the Ceuta enclave from Morocco have returned to Morocco, a sharp increase from the 25,000 returnees reported midday by The Zioneer.
Spain announced Friday evening that at least 48,300 migrants who entered the Ceuta enclave from Morocco have returned to Morocco, a sharp increase from the 25,000 returnees reported midday by The Zioneer. The figure marks the latest upward revision in a rapid repatriation trend that has seen tens of thousands of Moroccan nationals choose to return home after a massive border breach earlier this week.
The update follows a series of escalating counts reported by The Zioneer throughout the day. At 10:56 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that over 25,000 migrants had returned, citing the Spanish Interior Ministry. By 20:38 Jerusalem, Hebrew-language reports from Ceuta placed the number at more than 37,000, with the death toll rising to 57 and a 9-year-old girl reported missing. The Spanish government's latest figure of 48,300 reflects a continued acceleration in repatriations, which returning migrants have attributed to harsh conditions in the enclave, describing a reality of "nothing but hunger and oppression."
Background reporting by The Zioneer has noted that the Spanish government assesses that Moroccan border guards may have intentionally withdrawn to facilitate the migrant surge, possibly as diplomatic leverage regarding regional status disputes. A court ruling earlier in the week blocked immediate repatriation of migrants arriving by sea, though the bulk of returnees have crossed back overland to Morocco. The crisis has seen at least 57 fatalities during crossing attempts, according to reports from the enclave.
It remains unclear how many of the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 migrants who entered Ceuta remain in the territory, and whether the repatriation trend will continue through the weekend.
13 developments
- StrongCeuta crisis: death toll rises to 57, 9-year-old girl missing, 37,000 return to Morocco
- StrongNew court ruling blocks immediate return of migrants to Spain; local governor warns of 'chaos' as influx continues
- StrongReport claims 50,000 migrants infiltrated Europe in a single day
- DevelopingAbu Ali Express: Spanish police, soldiers not intervening in Ceuta as migrants mock authorities
Source and signal
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