At least 141 deaths reported in Ceuta migration attempts, toll expected to rise
Moroccan human rights associations reported Friday that at least 141 people died last week attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, many by swimming from Morocco. This figure is expected to increase. Approximately 72,000 migrants illegally entered Ceuta in a few days last week, a record number for such a short period, with 70,000 having been returned to Morocco, according to the Spanish Ministry of Interior. Achraf Mimoun, president of the local section of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights AMDH, stated at a press conference in Rabat that the toll would unfortunately be very high and continue to evolve, with no definitive figures at this stage. The AMDH and the European Coordination for Human Rights in Morocco, which groups Moroccan NGOs based in Europe, based this provisional assessment on official data, media reports, and information collected by human rights organizations, noting that it also includes missing persons and injured individuals. The National Human Rights Council, an independent Moroccan advisory body, reported 14 deaths on the Moroccan side, while the Ministry of Interior had reported 11 deaths on Sunday. On the Spanish side, at least 80 people lost their lives, according to a Spanish commission of forensic specialists. Mimoun highlighted that many families are still awaiting information on their relatives, adding that there are 21 bodies in the Tetouan morgue, including 11 Moroccans and 10 individuals of Arab nationalities, notably from Sudan
