3,000 to 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after mass Morocco crossing
Why it matters: Local officials put the death toll near 100 and say thousands of children remain stranded in a worsening humanitarian emergency.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants were still in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta days after tens of thousands crossed from Morocco, Ceuta leader Juan Jesús Vivas told the European Parliament. He said about 78,000 people reached the territory in a matter of hours last week and nearly 75,000 had since been returned to Morocco, easing but not ending the crisis. Vivas described an "irreparable tragedy" after roughly 100 deaths during the crossings. He also said Ceuta still faced a humanitarian emergency and public-order strains, with many minors unable to be sent back because consent is required. Spain's interior ministry has allocated 25 million euros to support migrant children in Ceuta.