Spain Installs Sea Barrier at Ceuta After 72 Die in Migrant Surge

Spain laid a 500-metre floating barrier across the sea entrance at Ceuta's Tarajal breakwater on August 1. The barrier sits at the exact stretch where thousands of migrants had tried to swim into the enclave from Morocco in the days before.

The crossing surge began on July 30. Tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta by sea and land over the following days. At least 72 died. Most drowned near the breakwater, where the sea approach narrows.

Spain declared an emergency and sent troops to the enclave. The death toll stood at 67 on August 1 and rose to 72 the next day as more bodies were found along Ceuta's coastline.

Ceuta sits on Morocco's northern coast, where the Mediterranean meets the eastern approach to the Strait of Gibraltar.