Tens of thousands of migrants who crossed into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory returned voluntarily to Morocco on Friday, following an influx that triggered chaos and a humanitarian crisis. At least 57 migrants died during the journey, with some drowning and others killed in a stampede near a border checkpoint. Ceuta’s president estimated the number of migrants at 60,000, equivalent to 70% of the territory’s population.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the breach as a violation of territorial integrity, blaming human smugglers for deceiving young people. While the Spanish Interior Ministry estimated that 50,000 people crossed from Morocco since Thursday, most returned by Friday evening. The chaos has had ripple effects across Europe, with Italy and France pledging to tighten controls on people arriving from Spain.

Authorities have linked the surge to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling regarding the deportation of migrants arriving by sea. Amidst the turmoil, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the images from Ceuta as "unacceptable," calling for the immediate dismantling of smuggling networks.