EU grapples with migrant crisis in Spain’s N. African enclave

A Spanish soldier stands guard as migrants reach Spanish territory after swimming from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. (EPA Images pic)CEUTA: The European Union on Friday scrambled to contain one of the largest migrant crises in recent years after some 60,000 people crossed into Spain's enclave in north Africa, as Italy temporarily suspended an EU-wide free movement agreement with Madrid.The migrants have entered Ceuta from Morocco, the local regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters, but by Friday evening officials said more than 48,000 had returned.To cross into Ceuta, many had swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean but at least 34 died in the attempt.The sudden, massive influx sparked an international crisis.France tightened checks on its border with Spain and reinforced police and gendarmes there.Italy announced it had suspended its Schengen agreement, the zone allowing free movement between the borders of EU member states, with Spain.Several European countries had already said Spain's membership in the Schengen free movement zone should be suspended.And across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump led far-right efforts to seize on the crossing to advance hardline immigration policies.'Trafficking mafias'Madrid rushed troops, more police, drones, divers and boats to the outpost that it has run for centuries as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his interior minister visited Friday.On Friday, hundreds of migrants, mostly young men, were hanging around on the Morocco side of the border. But others were seen turning back, saying "there are too many people here".Inside Ceuta, shops were closed and annual fiestas were cancelled."It's catastrophic," said Mohammed, a local taxi driver and Ceuta resident."Sure, we sympathise with them -- they're having a terrible time in their own country, and all that -- but this isn't the way to enter a place, nor is it a way to live."Some previous surges have occurred during tensions between Spain and Morocco.Sanchez visited Algiers on July 20 -- the first such visit by a Spanish head of government in four years -- marking a thaw in relations with Morocco's rival Algeria.But it was not clear if there was any connection between that visit and this latest influx.Sanchez, in Ceuta, blamed the sudden inflow on people-traffickers spreading rumours about a Spanish Supr…