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Morocco’s interior ministry has issued its first toll for those who died trying to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta last week, saying 11 people had died, which is significantly lower than the number issued by Spain, which was at least 72 people.
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Tens of thousands of potential migrants crossed into the territory between Wednesday and Friday, sparking diplomatic tension within the European Union as some member states criticised Spain’s lack of action and loose migration policies.
Rachid El Khalfi, a spokesman for Morocco’s interior ministry, said that of the 11 who died, 10 had drowned, while an eleventh person fell from a rocky area.
Morocco also announced that they were working in coordination with Spain to verify these figures and to identify bodies found on Spanish territory
Meanwhile, the ministry blamed the sudden surge on the “malicious exploitation” of social media and the “spread of misleading information”.
But it also cited “misinterpretations of legal provisions”, a reference to a July 8 Spanish Supreme Court ruling that migrants arriving by sea should not be returned as quickly as others.
The ministry reported 40,000 attempts to cross into Ceuta unlawfully.
A further 1,135 people sought to illegally enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla, located further east, but were promptly returned to Moroccan territory, the ministry added.
Spain states that over 60,000 people succeeded in entering Ceuta in recent days, though the majority have since returned to Morocco.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) noted that there were “nearly 130 victims”, alongside dozens of others who remain missing.
Prosecutors have launched an official inquiry into the events, according to the ministry.
Additional sources • AFP