The total number amounted to nearly 40,000 people bound for the city of Sebta and nearly 1,135 people bound for the city of Mellilia, where all individuals who managed to reach that city were returned, he said. In this context, particular attention was drawn to recent decisions by Spanish judicial authorities regarding the possibility of restricting the enforcement of immediate removal measures against some irregular migrants intercepted at sea, he further stated. These decisions, coupled with the misinterpretations surrounding them, fueled the belief among some individuals that they could evade immediate return. This, in turn, contributed to the emergence of a single mode of irregular migration attempts: crossing by swimming, which some believed offered a greater chance of avoiding immediate return, the official pointed out. According to El Khalfi, these events have so far resulted in one accidental death following a fall from a rocky area near the city of Sebta, in addition to 10 people dead by drowning.