Morocco and Spain are intensifying border control after at least 49,000 people arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by land and sea in one day.
The Spanish government estimated the first tally, with reports saying that at least 19 dead bodies were found in the water.
Videos and photos online document heartbreaking scenes of bodies on the shore, and others showing people of all ages swimming.
Some videos show young people carrying their elderly parents, while others are carrying babies.
The situation sparked frustration and fueled anti-Morocco campaigns from the far right in Europe, including Vox.
Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, described the situation, saying those who are crossing into Ceuta are not fleeing poverty.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has threatened to suspend Spain from the EU visa-free Schengen travel zone.
Moroccan and Spanish authorities vowed to intensify cooperation to tackle the situation, with Spain deploying the military across the border.
Morocco also deployed troops and police, with videos also featuring clashes, with young people engaged in setting security services’ vehicles ablaze and throwing stones at police.
Both countries have also commended their cooperation as exemplary.
On Thursday, Spain thanked Morocco for the efforts its security services have deployed to tackle the latest mass irregular migration and attempts to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The Spanish Interior Ministry lauded the countries’ “exemplary” cooperation, citing strong migration management cooperation as further proof of the expanding and solidifying ties between the two neighbors.
Both countries blamed criminal organizations for the masses, emphasizing their determination to continue collaboration to tackle the situation.
