Morocco has called on Spain to return survivors and the bodies of people who died during the mass attempt to reach Ceuta, including those who tried to swim around the Tarajal and Benzú breakwaters. The crossing took place on 30 and 31 July 2026, information from Spanish reporting. Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi urged Madrid to agree on repatriation procedures and the handling of the dead. He has also said Morocco needs forensic files to establish the nationalities of unidentified victims, telling Artículo14: “We want their files to determine whether they are Moroccan, from sub-Saharan Africa or from other Arab countries.”
Spanish authorities reported 141 deaths. In a resolution issued on 7 September, National Court judge María Tardón identified 83 bodies recovered in Spanish territorial waters and linked the deaths to drowning, crushing and other causes connected with the attempted crossings. The scale of the movement overwhelmed reception and emergency facilities. Ouahbi said Morocco could not establish how many of the dead were Moroccan without the forensic documentation. He reportedly tied acceptance of deceased Moroccan nationals to receiving those files and the repatriation of Moroccan minors still in Ceuta.
Identification work continued after the initial crossing. Local authorities buried 18 migrants in Ceuta’s Muslim cemetery on a Friday, marking the graves with numerical codes to allow for possible exhumation and identification. By late September, approximately 90 people had been buried in the Sidi Embarek Muslim cemetery, according to Bloomberg. The cemetery manager said nine had been identified, leaving 81 graves unnamed. Numbered headstones preserve the possibility of later identification as forensic work continues.
The crisis also demanded a prolonged response beyond rescue and identification. The Spanish government said more than 12,700 people returned to Morocco between 10 August and 20 October 2026. Most adults who remained in Ceuta were housed in facilities provided by the General State Administration. Authorities cleared large coastal settlements at Trampolín, Benítez and Guano, while work continued on smaller urban settlements.
Questions about events at sea have added to diplomatic strain. RTVE reported that Spanish maritime rescuers encountered migrants near Ceuta after the Moroccan Royal Navy had initially rescued them. The report said the migrants were allegedly put back into the water as a Spanish rescue vessel approached. The Spanish government said it had no confirmed knowledge that a Moroccan vessel had thrown migrants into the sea. Spanish rescue personnel said: “We saw people in the sea and saved them.”
Judge María Tardón’s inquiry continued after the basic crossing. Antena 3 reported that she sought information from Spain’s Defence Ministry. The Civil Guard later recovered another body in Ceuta’s port area. The man was found in an advanced state of decomposition, wearing swimwear and flippers; investigators considered whether he might have been trying to reach a vessel from Morocco.
The situation in Ceuta has drawn international attention, while previous episodes have also triggered political disputes and urgent policy responses. For example, a recent political standoff over the handling of migration in Ceuta highlighted the complexity of bilateral relations and the pressure on Spanish authorities to find lasting solutions.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa. The July movement involved people of different nationalities, including children and families, attempting the dangerous maritime route around the border barriers. Forensic teams are working to identify the dead as families wait for information. The dispute over documentation and repatriation underscores the need for coordination between Spanish and Moroccan authorities. Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two enclaves in North Africa, have often been at the center of migration tensions because of their geographic proximity to Morocco. The European Union has also supported border management and humanitarian assistance in the region.
