Morocco blames disinformation and trafficking for Ceuta border surge, confirms 11 dead

Morocco's official account

On Sunday, the Moroccan Interior Ministry issued its first detailed statement on the mass crossing attempt at the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. It estimated that around 40,000 people headed toward Ceuta and 1,135 toward Melilla. The ministry said 11 people died on Moroccan soil, ten by drowning and one from a fall in a rocky area near Fnideq. The statement described the events as neither spontaneous nor circumstantial, but the result of overlapping factors that the authorities had been monitoring.

Causes: disinformation, trafficking, and legal confusion

The ministry rejected the idea that the surge was a random occurrence, blaming instead a combination of deliberate actions.

The biased exploitation of digital space, the promotion of misleading information, the role of human trafficking gangs, and erroneous interpretations of legal and administrative data.

Specifically, it pointed to a misinterpretation of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that restricted the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea, a practice known as "devoluciones en caliente." The ministry said this misunderstanding, amplified online, convinced many that reaching European territory would be easy and without legal consequences. It added that the malicious use of cyberspace and the activities of trafficking networks reinforced the illusion among those wishing to migrate that they could avoid immediate return.

Divergent death tolls

Spain's government has reported far higher casualties. According to Spanish figures cited by multiple outlets, at least 72 migrants died on Spanish soil, and more than 60,000 people crossed into Ceuta in recent days. The Moroccan statement said it was still verifying reports of deaths on the Spanish side. The discrepancy reflects the chaotic nature of the event and the difficulty of establishing a definitive count while returns are still underway.

Preventive measures and border control

The ministry outlined an "integral and preventive" approach activated from the outset, based on early monitoring of indicators, increased vigilance, mobilization, and enhanced preparedness of security services and territorial authorities. It also intensified land and maritime surveillance. This approach, the statement said, allowed Morocco to control the situation, protect lives, maintain public order, and secure borders in strict compliance with the law and the principle of proportionality. The ministry stressed that the figures it released constitute the official reference, contrary to some data circulating without a reliable or objective basis.

Returns and ongoing situation

Morocco said all migrants who reached Melilla were returned immediately. Spanish authorities reported that over 48,000 of those who entered Ceuta had been sent back to Morocco, though some remained and resisted return. The Moroccan ministry reaffirmed its commitment to international cooperation.

Morocco will remain, as promised to its partners, a reliable and responsible partner, committed to strengthening international cooperation and coordination.

The statement comes amid heightened tensions over migration at Europe's southern borders, with both governments facing scrutiny over the handling of the crisis and the sharply differing casualty figures.