Arabic version: آلاف المهاجرين ما زالوا في سبتة بعد عبور جماعي

According to BBC News, between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the Spanish territory of Ceuta after roughly 78,000 people from neighbouring Morocco arrived by sea in a matter of hours last week. Ceuta leader Juan Jesús Vivas told the European Parliament that 100 deaths had occurred in what he called an “irreparable tragedy”.

Vivas said the return of nearly 75,000 migrants to Morocco had considerably eased the situation, but that Ceuta had not returned to normal. He described a continuing humanitarian emergency and disturbances to public order. He also criticised Spain’s national government, saying warnings from local officials about a rise in sea crossings had been ignored and that the response had been late and insufficient.

Thousands of migrant children are thought to remain in Ceuta while authorities register them. Spain’s interior minister said €25m (£21.4m; $28.8m) had been allocated to assist minors in the territory. El Mundo reported that volunteer groups had registered 4,860 migrant children, double official estimates. Vivas said returning minors was basically impossible because it required their consent, while no migrant children had yet been moved to mainland Spain, according to El País.

The mass crossings have heightened tensions between Spain, Morocco and European Union nations. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said criminal networks spreading disinformation may have contributed, an assertion backed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Morocco blamed Spain’s Supreme Court ruling that migrants stopped at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned. Moroccan media has also reported fresh social-media calls for another mass crossing, while Spanish officials say they are working with Morocco to prevent further violations.