Madrid, 01 August (H.S.): The migrant crisis in Ceuta, Spain's autonomous enclave in North Africa, is gradually coming under control after a massive influx of migrants overwhelmed the region. According to the Spanish government, more than 48,300 of the 60,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta have voluntarily returned to Morocco.

According to France 24, Spain's Ministry of the Interior said that tens of thousands of people arrived in Ceuta by land and sea beginning Thursday morning, creating chaos and triggering a humanitarian emergency. In an effort to restore order, Moroccan security forces used batons and tear gas along the border and attempted to prevent additional migrants from crossing into the Spanish territory.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen described the situation as unacceptable, stating that no one can be allowed to enter the European Union without complying with established immigration rules.

Meanwhile, Italy called for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen free-movement zone. Finland and Denmark later voiced support for the proposal. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also urged Morocco to immediately readmit illegal migrants.

France and the United Kingdom have offered assistance to Spain in managing the crisis. France has also tightened security checks along its border with Spain as a precautionary measure.

US President Donald Trump criticised the Spanish government over the migrant crisis during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland. He said the situation in Ceuta illustrated the dangers of uncontrolled migration.

I saw the devastation in Spain. It looked as though millions of people had invaded a country. If the right policies are not adopted, the United States could face an even bigger crisis, Trump said.

The US State Department also issued a statement accusing the Spanish government of encouraging large-scale illegal migration into Europe and said Washington was consulting its allies on possible measures to address the issue.

Several right-wing European leaders also reacted strongly to the crisis. Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said the large-scale arrival of migrants posed a challenge for the entire European continent. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also questioned Spain's immigration policies.

However, the Spanish government maintained that the situation is rapidly returning to normal, with a large number of migrants voluntarily crossing back into Morocco. It also accused some countries of attempting to exploit the humanitarian crisis for political gain.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar