MADRID, Aug 3 (Bernama-dpa) -- The Moroccan government has said that social media misinformation and human traffickers are behind the mass crossing of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The Interior Ministry said the crossings were driven by misinformation on social media, human trafficking and a misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling that led migrants to believe they could enter Europe without being immediately returned.
Official estimates suggest a total of 50,000 to 60,000 migrants had entered Ceuta from Morocco by Friday, arriving in the territory of some 85,000 people within only a few days.
The Moroccan ministry put the figure at about 40,000 people, with another 1,135 who headed towards Melilla. All those who reached Melilla were immediately returned, it said.
Morocco put the death toll at 11, while Spanish authorities said at least 72 people had died attempting the crossing to Ceuta.
Moroccan authorities were continuing to coordinate with Spain to verify reports of additional deaths in Ceuta and to establish the identities and nationalities of those involved, the ministry said.
-- NNN-BERNAMA-dpa