Spain fully deploys sea barrier as death toll of Ceuta migrant crisis rises

People gather on the Moroccan side of the border with Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, preparing to cross into the enclave, on July 30, 2026. (Photo by Liu Wenyong/Xinhua)

Spain has fully deployed a floating sea barrier on Sunday along the maritime border of its North African enclave of Ceuta as the authorities continue to tighten border controls following the recent mass migrant influx from Morocco.

MADRID, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Spain has fully deployed a floating sea barrier on Sunday along the maritime border of its North African enclave of Ceuta as the authorities continue to tighten border controls following the recent mass migrant influx from Morocco.

The floating barrier, installed off Ceuta's Tarajal beach, is now fully operational. The measure is designed to prevent irregular sea crossings after tens of thousands of migrants entered the enclave in recent days, many by swimming.

Spanish authorities also said on Sunday that the official death toll linked to the crisis has risen to 72.

Meanwhile, the regional government of Ceuta said 88 bodies are currently being held in the city's morgue. Local authorities said some of the bodies were recovered from the sea more than two weeks after the migrant surge. The process of identification is still underway.

Irregular migrants gather outside a convenience store in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, on July 30, 2026. (Photo by Liu Wenyong/Xinhua)

Although the large-scale arrivals have subsided, Ceuta has yet to return to normal. Police and military personnel continued security operations across the city on Sunday, detaining migrants found on the streets. Those apprehended were taken to police stations for identification before deportation procedures were initiated.

The migrant surge has become one of the most serious border crises in Spain's recent history, prompting emergency measures by the Spanish government and renewed debate across Europe over migration management and the protection of the European Union's external borders.