At least 72 dead amid mass migrant rush to storm Spanish enclave of Ceuta sparking border crisis

At least 72 migrants are dead after a chaotic rush to storm the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, turning one of Europe's latest border crises into a humanitarian disaster that is reigniting debate over immigration across the continent.Spanish authorities continued searching the waters off Ceuta over the weekend for additional victims after an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants — most of them young men — poured into the tiny Spanish territory in North Africa.Officials said many of the victims drowned while attempting the crossing, while others were killed in a stampede near a breakwater barrier.The mass crossing unfolded over several days, temporarily increasing Ceuta's population of roughly 84,000 by more than half.

By Sunday, many migrants had returned to neighboring Morocco, while others remained in the city or tried to avoid authorities.SPAIN DEPLOYS MILITARY AFTER THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS OVERWHELM BORDER ENCLAVE, AT LEAST 18 DEADMigrants who crossed into Spain return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug.1, 2026.

(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)The deaths have intensified the political fight over immigration in Spain and across Europe.Far-right leaders called for tighter border security and the removal of migrants who remained in the enclave.Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's nationalist Vox party, visited Ceuta on Sunday and blasted the country's government, calling the migrant influx "an invasion" and accusing officials of failing to protect Spain's borders.Guardia Civil officers recover the body of a migrant from the water in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Saturday, Aug.

1, 2026.(AP Photo/Antonio Sempere)Tensions were also on display Saturday when European Parliament member Alvise Pérez faced angry counterprotesters during a rally in Ceuta.

Pérez eventually took shelter inside a nearby bar before police escorted him away.MIGRANT CRISIS PUSHES ITALY TO RESTORE BORDER CHECKS WITH SPAIN, TESTING EUROPE'S OPEN-BORDER SYSTEMMany local residents e...