Morocco cites misleading social media for Ceuta migrant surge, reports 11 deaths

Morocco announced on Sunday that 11 people died while attempting to reach Spain’s North‑African exclave of Ceuta this week, a figure that stands in stark contrast to Spain’s own estimate of at least 72 fatalities. The Moroccan interior ministry attributed the sudden spike in deaths to the “spread of misleading information” circulating on social media, which it says has encouraged more desperate crossings.

The discrepancy between the two countries’ counts underscores the difficulty of obtaining reliable data in the chaotic environment of the Strait of Gibraltar. While Spain’s coastguard and emergency services have reported a high number of casualties following a series of failed attempts to cross the water, Moroccan authorities have reported fewer deaths, citing limited access to the sites where the drownings occurred and the influence of unverified online reports on the perceived scale of the crisis.

The divergent figures highlight the challenges faced by both governments in monitoring and responding to migration flows across the border. Authorities continue to work with international partners to improve information sharing and to address the factors driving people to undertake such perilous journeys.