Spain's autonomous city of Ceuta faced a humanitarian emergency after approximately 60,000 migrants crossed its border from Morocco, resulting in 67 deaths from drowning and stampede incidents.

The death toll from a surge in migrant crossings at Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta has reached 67, according to the Spanish government. The fatalities occurred both in the sea and during a chaotic stampede at a breakwater barrier as migrants attempted to enter the territory between Thursday and Friday.

In response to the unprecedented influx of around 60,000 people who breached Ceuta's border, Spanish authorities announced plans to install a 500-meter-long containment barrier along the existing breakwater fence extending into the sea. The measure comes as officials work to prevent further crossing attempts. According to Spain's interior ministry, the majority of those who entered Ceuta have already been returned to Morocco, though the process has taken several days to complete.

By Saturday morning, Ceuta had descended into what residents described as an "uneasy calm" after the chaos of the previous days. Juan Jesus Vivas, president of the autonomous city which has a population of 84,000, acknowledged that while repatriation efforts were progressing, normalcy had not yet been restored. "Life in this city has been disrupted as a result of the border incident," Vivas stated, emphasizing that security and social order remained strained.

Despite repatriation efforts and restrictions on services, some migrants remained determined to stay in Ceuta. Mohamed Hatri, a 23-year-old Moroccan, expressed his resolve to remain regardless of the challenges, suggesting that closure of businesses aimed at forcing departures would not deter those seeking opportunities in Spain.