The death toll from the this week’s unprecedented migrant crisis in Ceuta has risen once again.

Ceuta minister Miguel Angel Perez Triano confirmed on Sunday that 72 migrants died while attempting to enter from Morocco during Thursday’s mass crossings.

He described the victims as ‘innocent people’ who lost their lives trying to reach the Spanish enclave.

Perez Triano added that authorities would accelerate the processing of migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly so their return to Morocco could be carried out ‘as soon as possible’.

He revealed that the security operation has been significantly reinforced, with almost 3,000 police, Guardia Civil officers and military personnel now deployed across the city.

The extra forces, he said, will remain in Ceuta ‘for as long as necessary’.

While declining to provide an exact figure for those still in the enclave, Perez Triano said ‘many thousands’ had already returned to Morocco and that ‘far fewer people remain than initially entered’.

He acknowledged that humanitarian resources had been overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis, but said the government was working with the Ministry of Inclusion and the Red Cross to provide water and other vital services.

The government delegate also condemned the arrival of far-right groups in Ceuta, accusing them of exploiting the crisis ‘to sow hatred, division and fear’.

‘Ceuta is a land of coexistence, diversity and respect,’ he said. ‘We do not need lessons from those who simply want to exploit the concerns of our neighbourhoods for political gain.’

Perez Triano added that authorities had received no prior warning of the mass crossings before migrants began entering the city and said the situation had now changed dramatically from the chaotic first 24 hours.