Ceuta Residents Reflect on Migrant Surge After Most Return to Morocco

Ceuta has returned to a semblance of normalcy over the weekend after a surge of migrants earlier in the week, though residents remain unsettled by the recent events.

Most of the estimated 60,000 migrants who entered the Spanish exclave have since returned to Morocco, but some remain in the surrounding hills. Spanish civil guard ships are still searching for bodies in the waters where many migrants crossed.

While shops have reopened and the city is bustling with residents and tourists, discussions about the causes of the border surge and accountability persist. At least 72 migrants died during the incident, prompting renewed debates on immigration policies in Europe. Local reactions vary, with some blaming authorities for the situation, while far-right politicians have visited the city, leading to counterprotests from local residents.