At least 18 migrants died trying to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta after tens of thousands of people breached the frontier with Morocco and poured into the tiny Spanish territory.

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.

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.

Hundreds of migrants from Morocco have swum into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta over the last week.

Video shows thousands of migrants overwhelming Ceuta's Tarajal border as Spain deploys its military and at least nine people die during crossings.

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

President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting that similar scenes of migrants flooding into Spain could play out in the U.S. if Democrats gain power.

Most of the migrants returned to Morocco after as many as 60,000 overwhelmed the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta.

The pro-immigration leader is facing backlash at home and abroad after roughly 60,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave.