Moroccan Migrants Set Up Camp on Ceuta Beach, Around 5,000 Remain in the Spanish City

Hundreds of Moroccan migrants have set up a temporary camp on El Trampolín beach in Ceuta, as Spanish authorities continue their efforts to manage the situation following the large influx of migrants who arrived in the Spanish enclave last week.

According to the authorities, around 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco over the past four days, while between 3,000 and 5,000 people remain in Ceuta. The death toll has risen to 72 on the Spanish side of the border and another 11 on the Moroccan side.

According to foreign media reports, many of the migrants said they had become stranded because of shop closures, food shortages, hostility from some local residents and their inability to travel to mainland Spain.

Footage from the area shows dozens of migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, lying on the beach sand and wrapped in towels to protect themselves from the wind, while military and police vehicles patrol the area. Meanwhile, local authorities have said that Ceuta’s two migrant reception centers have exceeded their capacity, while the cases of 862 migrant minors, who are afforded special legal protection from deportation, are being reviewed.