Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that “virtually everyone who entered Ceuta has now been returned to Morocco.”
Earlier, Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas stated that around 60,000 migrants had crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta within the past 24 hours, according to Sky News.
However, shortly after Vivas’ remarks, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior released updated figures, estimating that approximately 50,000 people had crossed into Ceuta since Thursday.
The ministry said that by Friday evening, 48,300 migrants had already been returned to Morocco, with hundreds more being repatriated every hour.
Police sources also reported that 57 deaths have been confirmed. Most of the victims were between 20 and 35 years old, and at least one woman was among the deceased.
Meanwhile, European Union ambassadors have agreed to meet on Monday to discuss the migrant crisis.
