A border crisis has erupted as tens of thousands of people flood into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta from Morocco in Africa, prompting the Spanish government to take emergency response measures.

Visiting Ceuta on the 31st (local time), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the situation as "an attack and an infringement on Spain's territorial integrity," while pledging support for the city, AFP and Reuters reported, along with the British daily The Guardian.

Prime Minister Sánchez explained that a temporary reception center will be set up in Ceuta to screen migrants and quickly deport those without legal status, and that maritime border buoys will be installed along the coast to clearly mark the border and prevent crossings.

He emphasized that local police and border guards have been instructed to guide the removal and repatriation of migrants to Morocco while swiftly processing necessary official deportation procedures.

Sánchez added that "many migrants are already leaving" and that Moroccan authorities are cooperating with the repatriation plan.

Although the Sánchez government has pursued a more lenient immigration policy than other European Union (EU) member states, it is facing fierce criticism both domestically and internationally over this crisis, which has seen tens of thousands enter without authorization at once.

Earlier this morning, Juan Jesús Vivas, the mayor of the autonomous city of Ceuta, estimated that 60,000 migrants had crossed over within a 24-hour period, with the death toll resulting from the process reaching 34.

The number of migrants estimated by city officials exceeds 70 percent of the city's population of 85,000.

The Spanish government estimated the number of migrants at 50,000, lower than the city authority's estimate.

Mayor Jesús Vivas appealed that the situation in Ceuta is "absolutely unsustainable," expressing a state of crisis.

The Spanish government reported that the number of fatalities whose bodies were recovered on the Spanish side has risen to 57, adding that there could be further casualties on the Moroccan side.

Some drowned in the sea, while others died amid the chaos as crowds surged toward breakwaters and fences, officials said.

Moroccan security forces met the crowds attempting to head toward Ceuta with water cannons, batons, and tear gas to block their entry.

Several burned vehicles were visible near the site of the clashes with the crowds, foreign media reported.

The Spanish Interior Ministry stated that an estimated 48,300 unauthorized entrants have "voluntarily" returned from Ceuta to Morocco.

A Spanish court ruling has been pointed to as one of the causes of this situation.

The Spanish Supreme Court recently ruled that migrants arriving by sea must not be immediately deported.

Prime Minister Sánchez stated that human traffickers had misinterpreted the court ruling, adding, "This misinterpretation appears to have spread rapidly through human trafficking networks within hours, triggering a massive influx."

Calls are mounting for the Sánchez government to immediately regain control of the situation, not only within Spain but also across the European Union (EU), which is bound by the Schengen Agreement guaranteeing free movement within the region.

The Italian Interior Ministry announced that it is "closing its sea and air borders with Spain."

This is interpreted as meaning that the EU's Schengen Agreement will not apply to Spain, and passengers using aircraft and ships traveling between the two countries are expected to undergo stricter immigration procedures.

France, which shares a border with Spain, announced that it will step up border checks on Spain.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X (formerly Twitter) emphasizing, "Migration coming from Ceuta is unacceptable. We cannot allow anyone to enter our Union without respecting our rules."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "Protecting the EU's external borders is crucial to eradicating illegal immigration. Spain needs to, and must, restore control over the situation in Ceuta as soon as possible."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also urged the Spanish government to "restore control over the situation."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)