More than 60,000 people on Friday crossed into the small Spanish territory in a chaotic rush that overwhelmed local authorities. Many of the victims drowned while attempting to swim around border barriers and breakwaters separating Ceuta from Morocco. While most migrants have since returned to Morocco, the tragedy has intensified pressure on Spain and the EU to prevent similar humanitarian disasters in the future.
Hard Numbers
Death toll rises from Ceuta migrant surge
Will Fitzpatrick
By Will FitzpatrickAugust 03, 2026
Will Fitzpatrick
Will Fitzpatrick is a multimedia reporter and producer at GZERO, where he does a little bit of everything: writing for the GZERO Daily, creating social videos, producing GZERO World, and whatever else the news cycle throws his way.
Before GZERO, Will worked in documentary film on both the production and post-production sides, including on Everest: The Other Side and on The First Wave. He has also directed and produced two short documentaries of his own. Outside the film world, Will has worked as a freelance journalist, with reporting that has taken him from the dhow workshops of Oman to the mountains of Patagonia, with plenty of stops in between. He’s especially interested in the niche, hard-to-reach, and underreported stories that reveal something bigger about how the world works.
Will studied economics and world politics at Hamilton College and received his Master’s in journalism from New York University. When he's not reporting, you can likely find Will tending to his oyster farm, on a bike, or somewhere outdoors.
