\n
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the French president offered to help Spain.<\/p>\n
Ceuta, on Morocco’s northern coast, is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar and has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.<\/p>\n
Local officials had appealed to Madrid for help after a recent rise in attempted crossings, but there were chaotic scenes on Thursday as border controls apparently broke down.<\/p>\n
Videos and images from Thursday show thousands of people swimming into the city, while local media reported crossings continuing into Friday.<\/p>\n
Jes\u00fas Vivas said the situation was “unsustainable” and that the recent arrivals amounted to around 70% of the city’s population – which sits at around 83,600 according to the latest local figures.<\/p>\n
Spain has now deployed its armed forces to bolster security in Ceuta and at its sister city of Melilla, where between 300 to 400 crossings were also reported overnight.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Friday during a visit to Ceuta, <\/b>the prime minister condemned the crossings and said it was an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
S\u00e1nchez added that the government would be looking at reinforcing the border with Morocco.<\/p>\n
The prime minister blamed the dangerous events on criminal networks manipulating the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, adding that incorrect information had “spread like wildfire in recent hours”.<\/p>\n
He said authorities in Morocco were co-operating with plans to return those who had entered illegally. <\/p>\n
Ceuta and Melilla trace their Spanish past to the 15th Century, and they have enjoyed a limited degree of self-government since 1995.<\/p>\n
Coveted by Morocco, they have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n
They form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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