Ceuta buries 36 more unidentified migrants, bringing total to 78

Authorities in Ceuta have buried 78 unidentified migrants following the mass attempt to enter the Spanish-occupied city from Morocco on July 30 and 31, according to local media outlet El Faro de Ceuta.

The latest burials involved 36 migrants, all reportedly men, who were laid to rest at Sidi Embarek Cemetery over the past several days.

The most recent group of 18 bodies was transferred to the cemetery Tuesday and buried in graves numbered 5469 to 5486, according to El Faro.

The burials have followed the same protocol, with officials from Ceuta’s Regional Ministry of Health and cemetery workers attending the ceremonies and prayers for the deceased.

The first group of 18 unidentified bodies was buried last Friday, followed by 12 on Saturday and another 12 on Sunday. An additional 18 bodies were buried earlier this week in graves numbered 5451 to 5468.

The bodies had been recovered following the mass crossing attempt and kept at a temporary morgue at a military hospital before being transferred to the cemetery.

None of the 78 migrants buried so far has been identified, according to the report.

Nine other people who died during the crossing have been identified through DNA testing. They include eight men and one woman, whose bodies are still awaiting repatriation to Morocco.

Authorities have assigned each unidentified body a number and a specific grave to ensure that its location can be traced if relatives later identify or seek to recover the remains.

The burials have drawn concern from Moroccan rights groups, which have called for unidentified victims to be identified and their families contacted before burial and for the remains to be repatriated to Morocco.

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