Spain says most of 60,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta have left voluntarily

Spain deployed armed forces and additional police to restore order in its tiny North African territory of Ceuta after an unprecedented influx of approximately 60,000 migrants from Morocco. The number of arrivals in 24 hours overwhelmed the city, which has a population of about 86,000.

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The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable.

Ceuta's president, Juan Jesús Vivas, described the situation as "absolutely unsustainable." At least 57 migrants died during the perilous journey, some drowning and others killed in stampedes. Many who made the crossing swam for miles and faced down authorities attempting to repel them with water cannons and tear gas.

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The Spanish enclave of Ceuta has been a Spanish possession since 1580.

Despite the chaos, the Spanish government reported that most of the migrants soon returned voluntarily to Morocco. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the border breach as a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity" and blamed human smugglers for deceiving young people and leading many to their deaths. The crisis prompted Italy and France to pledge tighter controls on arrivals from Spain.

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The border breach, which he described as 'a violation of Spain's territorial integrity.'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the images from Ceuta "unacceptable," stating that dangerous crossings must stop immediately and smuggling networks dismantled. The situation also saw migrants attempting to cross into Spain's other territory, Melilla, leading to clashes with police.

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deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths