MADRID — Spain dispatched troops to its North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants swam across the border in a mass crossing that renewed tensions with neighboring Morocco.
At least 18 people drowned in the attempt. The Spanish government confirmed the military deployment to bolster security along the border.
Most migrants who entered Spanish territory have since returned to Morocco. At least 48,300 had crossed back by Friday afternoon.
Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves on the North African coast that border Morocco, have long been a source of diplomatic friction between the two countries.
The mass crossing drew an immediate backlash from far-right politicians across Europe.
Morocco's National Human Rights Council documented confrontations at the Melilla crossing in a July 2022 preliminary report detailing prior border incidents.
Some experts characterize the enclaves' existence as an unsustainable historical anomaly, citing global trends toward decolonization. Some analysts have suggested Spain could ultimately cede sovereignty over the enclaves to Morocco.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously described a bilateral initiative as the most serious, realistic and credible approach to resolving the decades-long dispute over the territories, declaring a new stage in Spain's relations with Morocco.
