Migrants await asylum in Ceuta amid hunger and thirst

Rapid Returns Follow Migrant Crossings to Ceuta

The arrival of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people in Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in North Africa, on July 30-31 was not only unprecedented but also tragic. At least 72 people died , including many who drowned while trying to swim from Morocco to Ceuta and others who were crushed while trying to climb a border barrier, according to Spanish authorities. Most who crossed were Moroccan, with some from Sudan, Yemen, and several West and North African countries, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) reported. Many reportedly sought to migrate for economic reasons, but some were asylum seekers, including people who had fled the conflict in Sudan . By August 2, most who crossed into Ceuta had returned to Morocco. The Spanish government said returns were voluntary, but AMDH, which spoke with some returnees, said that Spanish security forces carried out “mass pushbacks” without individual assessments. The group also alleged that some Ceuta residents used violence against people arriving and that Spanish and Moroccan forces used unnecessary force against people arriving in Ceuta or attempting to leave the Moroccan border town of Ben Ensar. At least 23 African men died in June 2022 at the Melilla-Morocco border amid the use of force and riot control tactics on both sides. Spanish authorities should uphold the rights of those remaining in Ceuta by individually assessing health and protection needs and ensuring access to asylum procedures. On both sides of the border, it’s critical to ensure that any use of force is strictly necessary and proportionate .