EU holds emergency talks after 50,000 migrants enter Ceuta
At least 72 people died in the crossings, while Spain said nearly all migrants had been sent back to Maroko by August 1.
The European Union held an emergency meeting of interior ministers after about 50,000 to 60,000 migrants from Maroko crossed into Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, from Wednesday to Friday last week. At least 72 people died while trying to reach the enclave. In a joint letter, the bloc rejected uncontrolled mass crossings and what it called the instrumentalization of migration. Maroko's Interior Ministry said the surge was driven by misinformation on social media, human trafficking networks and a misreading of Spain's Supreme Court ruling on July 8 concerning migrants intercepted at sea. Spain said that as of Saturday, August 1, nearly all migrants had been returned to Maroko and that the situation in Ceuta had returned to normal.