Spain’s Ceuta In ‘Chaos’: What To Know About Migrant Surge - Forbes

Spanish authorities reported Friday that a majority of the roughly 60,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday had returned home, with at least 48,300 back in Morocco by Friday afternoon.
The death toll rose to 57 on the Spanish side, according to Reuters, including people who drowned and others crushed while attempting to climb the breakwater supporting the border fence; a separate headline figure cited 34 deaths.
Ceuta's government warned it lacks the resources to feed or house the thousands of migrants who remain, with local President Juan Jesús Vivas calling it "a situation of absolute humanitarian and social emergency."
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the border breach as "a violation of Spain's territorial integrity" and deployed the military, while opposition politicians blamed his pro-immigration policies, including a plan to grant legal status to about half a million undocumented immigrants.
Neighboring European nations tightened their borders in response: French President Emmanuel Macron ordered stronger controls with added police, aircraft and drones, and Italy suspended passport-free entry from Spain, which Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called necessary to protect citizens and European borders.
Ceuta, a Spanish city on North Africa's coast since the 16th century, and nearby Melilla are frequent entry points for African migrants seeking to reach Europe; the surge appears linked to economic hardship in Morocco and misinformation, though the exact cause remains unclear.