At least 18 people died and an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, prompting Spain to send military and police reinforcements. Some migrants drowned while trying to swim to Spanish territory, and others were caught up in a crush, an official said. Thousands were left sleeping on streets or in parks.
The mass crossing, which happened by land and sea over Thursday and Friday, overwhelmed the tiny North African territory. Local police in Ceuta were fencing off the centre of the enclave as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez prepared to visit. Sánchez was expected to arrive just before midday local time on Friday, joined by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Italy, meanwhile, demanded that Spain be suspended from the Schengen free-movement area, amid concerns of a fresh migration crisis in Europe. Sánchez's government, which supports immigration, now faces an escalating emergency at its southern border.
The deaths and the sheer scale of the crossing have raised alarm, with thousands of people camping in public spaces in Ceuta. Spanish authorities have not yet said how they plan to manage the situation or whether the migrants will be returned to Morocco.