Tens of thousands of migrants voluntarily leave after crossing into Spanish territory of Ceuta

Spain is rushing troops and resources to one of its territories in North Africa, after tens of thousands of migrants crossed the border from Morocco into the small city of Ceuta. CEUTA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday, a day after the influx triggered chaos in the North African city and reignited the immigration debate in Europe and beyond. At least 57 migrants died on the journey.Ceuta’s president put the number of migrants at 60,000, which was equivalent to 70% of the territory's population.

But most of them soon went back, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many people sparked a humanitarian crisis.Some migrants swam several miles through the sea and faced down authorities who tried to turn them back with water cannons, tear gas and warning shots. Those who died included some who drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police to restore order in Ceuta, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a Spanish possession since 1580. On the Moroccan side of the border, security forces clashed with migrants.

The chaos also had ripple effects abroad, with Italy and France pledging to tighten their controls on people arriving from Spain.“The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable,” Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas told journalists.Meanwhile, migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain’s other territory at the tip of North Africa, where they clashed with police.Spanish prime minister condemns border breachSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday and condemned the border breach, which he described as “a violation of Spain's territorial integrity.”Sánchez blamed human smugglers for the crisis, saying they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths,” whether in the ocean or in the city.The Spanish Interior Ministry released its own figures shortly after Vivas spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday. It added that 48,300 had already returned to Morocco by Friday evening, with hundreds more going back by the hour.Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis,” saying thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left slee… Many of the migrants have now returned.

Spanish authorities reported that at least 57 died, among them those who drowned as they attempted to swim to Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city.