Families await word of loved ones after deadly Morocco-Spain crossing

Families in Morocco are desperately searching for missing relatives days after a deadly mass crossing into Spain's enclave of Ceuta, while thousands of migrants who remain in the territory queue for their first food aid after days without assistance.

Anxious families gathered near the border in Fnideq on Monday, hoping for news of loved ones who crossed into Ceuta during last week's unprecedented migrant surge.

Many said they had lost contact with sons and relatives after they entered the Spanish enclave.

Some had received a brief phone call confirming their arrival before communication suddenly stopped.

Spanish authorities say at least 72 migrants died during the crossing, with many drowning at sea and others killed in a stampede.

Several people remain unaccounted for, leaving families uncertain whether they are alive or dead.

The majority of migrants returned voluntarily by Friday, but groups of young men were still making their way back across the border on Monday.

Food aid reaches stranded migrants

In Ceuta, dozens of migrants queued under police supervision on Monday to receive what journalists on the ground understood to be the first food distribution in four days.

Many of those waiting were among the thousands who crossed from Morocco during the migration crisis that began on Thursday.

Authorities handed out food and water as migrants lined up in orderly queues.

Spanish officials estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 of the roughly 60,000 people who entered Ceuta have avoided expulsion, including about 860 unaccompanied minors.

International concern grows

The mass crossing has intensified the debate over migration in Europe. Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen open-border agreement with Spain, while France announced tighter border controls.

The United States also voiced support for Spain, blaming the crisis on policies it said encouraged illegal migration into Europe.

Meanwhile, some migrants who returned to Morocco described a border that was effectively left open, saying security forces did little to stop thousands from crossing into the Spanish enclave.