Tragic burials for migrants in Ceuta following deadly border crisis
CEUTA, Spain — Against the murmur of prayers, body bags were lowered into graves marked only with numbers. Gravediggers placed the first four victims in cinderblock plots while a small group of locals watched at a cemetery on the tip of North Africa, reports BritPanorama.
The deceased, whose identities remain unknown, were among more than 90 migrants who lost their lives during Spain’s deadliest border crisis three weeks ago. Fueled by misinformation, poverty, and a lack of opportunities, over 72,000 people surged into Ceuta, a Spanish territory bordering Morocco.
At a Muslim cemetery in Ceuta, 18 migrants were laid to rest on Friday. An Islamic cleric read prayers and chants praising God while funeral workers worked quickly to lower the white body bags and cover them with soil. More migrants are expected to be buried soon.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights, a left-leaning nongovernmental organization, called for the burials in Ceuta to be halted until every effort had been made to identify the bodies and repatriate them to Morocco, the home country for most migrants who made the perilous journey.
Many of those who died drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.
In a statement, the NGO urged Morocco’s foreign ministry to ensure that “the bodies are returned to the families so they can be buried with dignity.”
It described the burials in Ceuta as a “new human tragedy,” adding to the “disaster of displacement and missing persons.”
A spokesperson for Ceuta’s city government reported last week that the paperwork to repatriate the bodies of the deceased was complete, but that Morocco’s government had yet to accept it.
Morocco’s foreign ministry did not respond to inquiries concerning the burials initiated on Friday in Ceuta or allegations that Morocco is obstructing the repatriation of identified migrant bodies.
While most who crossed into Ceuta in late July returned to Morocco almost immediately, local authorities estimate that up to 10,000 migrants — including women and children — might still be present in the small Spanish city, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis as authorities and locals grapple with providing shelter and care. Spain’s national government cites a lower figure of around 5,000 people.
Moroccan and Spanish officials have attributed the deadly event to social media rumors and human smuggling networks, while migrants have cited unemployment and low wages as their motivations for undertaking the journey.
All of those buried on Friday were men, noted Said Mohammed, the cemetery’s acting manager. The graves were marked with numbered stones in case families later claim the bodies.
Under Islamic custom, a body is placed in a grave facing Mecca, as was the case with the migrants buried in Ceuta. Just across the sea lay mainland Europe — their desired destination.
