Families crowd Morocco's Fnideq border awaiting news on missing migrants

In Fnideq, a Moroccan border town, crowds have assembled to show pictures of relatives who disappeared during the unprecedented migration wave into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Authorities confirm a death count of 88 in Ceuta and 11 on the Moroccan side, while dozens remain missing. Spain’s interior minister said most of the 70,000 arrivals have been sent back within 48 hours, yet around 2,000 people, including over 860 unaccompanied children, are still in Ceuta.

Human-rights groups fear that some migrants eligible for protection are being expelled before they can claim asylum. The situation intensified after a video showed a 12-year-old boy pleading not to be deported, prompting officials to halt the operation. Both governments blame social-media rumors and a recent Spanish court ruling for the chaos, while political leaders trade accusations over responsibility.