Security Measures Announced Amid Fresh Border Crossing Rumors
Moroccan authorities on Wednesday announced new measures to counter a potential new influx of migrants into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, responding to a wave of online disinformation. For more than a week, social media posts have claimed that the border crossing between the Moroccan town of Fnideq and the Spanish exclave would be open on August 15, a public holiday in Spain.
Moroccan interior ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said, "All the necessary measures were taken to counter all attempts at illegal passage and intercept every person seeking to participate." The ministry stated it had "detected over the last days the circulation of publications and anonymous messages on social media inciting the organisation of collective, illegal crossing attempts" towards Ceuta. Legal proceedings would be taken against those spreading the calls, and a group of individuals suspected of being involved has been summoned for investigation, according to El Khalfi, in remarks carried by the state news agency MAP.
The announcement follows a record influx in late July, when around 72,000 people, mostly Moroccans, crossed into Ceuta irregularly over a few days, according to reports. The vast majority have since been returned to Morocco. Some 2,000 people, including about 1,000 unaccompanied minors, remain in the Spanish territory, according to local authorities. The Moroccan interior ministry has urged Spanish authorities to speed up the return of the minors.
Families Still Waiting for News of Missing Loved Ones
More than two weeks after the mass crossing, families are still waiting for information about their relatives. Parents and siblings have travelled to hospitals, police stations and the border in search of answers, as reported by France 24. A father named Rahali is searching for his son Zakaria, who went missing during the crossing, and his sister Zeinab is quoted in the report. The uncertainty is compounded by the difficulty of identifying victims.
Spanish authorities in Ceuta have created a special office for missing persons, which receives reports from families and collects photos and personal information, including distinctive marks such as tattoos, clothing and belongings. Biological samples are collected from family members to compare them to the DNA of unidentified bodies. According to Spanish authorities, since the office opened, 32 cases of missing persons have been recorded, 29 of which match DNA in their database. The first body identification using DNA was confirmed on August 5.
Death Toll and Burial Challenges
Estimates of the death toll from the crisis vary. Officials have reported 91 deaths, including 80 in Spain and 11 on the Moroccan side. However, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a non-governmental group, estimated the death toll to be at least 141. Moroccan authorities recovered 11 bodies in the wake of the crisis, while Spain said at least 80 people died. Spanish authorities found dozens of bodies at sea but are struggling to identify the victims, leaving many families fearing the worst.
The challenge of identification has also delayed burials. A court order was issued to begin burials on Thursday, Saïd Mohammed Mohammed, the manager of the Sidi Mbarek Muslim cemetery in Ceuta, said. The "more than 80 bodies" could not all be buried that day due to a lack of resources, he added. Despite many missing persons notices, calls and photographs, the cemetery manager said he could no longer wait for families to arrive. "There are bodies whose identities are unknown, and we do not know who they are, but our responsibility is limited to burial," said Mohammed. "We are not responsible for searching for the missing." He noted that even if a person is buried without being identified first, they are assigned a number and have a file in court with all the relevant information.