At least four migrants have died and over 20 others are missing at sea after attempting to swim to the Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco over the weekend, according to a report by Spanish news outlet elDiario.es.
Spanish Civil Guard officers recovered the bodies of four victims from the water within 24 hours. The report notes that these drownings bring the total death toll along this coastal route to 27 so far this year.
Security sources cited by elDiario.es report that more than 200 people, mostly Moroccan and Algerian nationals, attempted the dangerous sea crossing between Saturday and Sunday.
Most attempts took place during the early morning hours from nearby Moroccan beaches.
Moroccan border authorities intercepted roughly half of those trying to cross. However, more than 100 migrants managed to reach the shores of Ceuta.
The influx has severely strained local reception facilities. Ceuta’s Temporary Residence Center for Immigrants (CETI) is currently overcrowded beyond its 512-person capacity, leaving over a hundred newly arrived migrants waiting outside the facility, according to elDiario.es.
Local officials and police representatives in Ceuta attribute the recent surge in part to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that bans immediate pushbacks of migrants arriving by sea.
In response to the growing crisis, the regional government of Ceuta is calling for urgent legal reforms and emergency support.
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