August 2, 2026 / 9:08 AM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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Most of the 60,000 North African migrants who entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta had been returned to Morocco by Sunday, officials said, but a cloud remains over the tiny enclave. Shops in Ceuta reopened, and the usual blend of residents and tourists in the city of 84,000 were filling the open-air terraces, restaurants and cafes.But the city that prides itself on being home to four cultures was still grappling with the aftermath of the border surge, with locals disagreeing on what caused it and who exactly is to blame. Meanwhile, Spanish civil guard ships continued searching for migrant bodies in the waters near the stretch of urban beach that had been breached by people days earlier. Border surge breathes new life into Europe's immigration debateAt least 72 people died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier, Spanish authorities said Sunday. The humanitarian crisis caused by the sudden rush of people has reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond. "It's not the young men's fault," said Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, 44, a waiter at a fried fish restaurant in town. "If you open the border, of course everyone comes in, but the young men aren't to blame. The authorities are responsible."
