Most of those who came to the territory, a Spanish exclave in Africa, have returned across the border to Morocco. At least 67 people died trying to enter, the authorities said.

The mass crossing into Ceuta caused division in Europe, with Italy threatening to suspend the EU’s internal open border scheme.

The crisis in Ceuta, on the African coast, instantly became a touchstone in the global migrant debate as suspicions swirled that the viral incident was orchestrated.

Spain’s prime minister slammed the reaction of some other European leaders, saying calls to suspend Spain from the borderless Schengen zone were “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.

Conservative leaders across Europe react as an estimated 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta from Morocco within 24 hours, threatening its open-border policies.

Death toll increases to 67 people, according to Spain's Ministry of the Interior, after about 50,000 people entered the Spanish enclave since Thursday morning, with most migrants returned to Morocco on Saturday.

Around 50,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s North African exclave of Ceuta this week, a mass influx that overwhelmed local authorities. At least 57 people died during the crossings, which prompted tighter border security measures across Europe.

The arrivals in Ceuta, a six-mile-long peninsula on Morocco’s northern coast that Spain has governed for centuries, have fueled political tensions.

Police and troops round up hundreds of people who remained after tens of thousands surged from Morocco into Ceuta.