Spain said most of the migrants had returned to Morocco by Friday evening, as Italy suspended its Schengen agreement on free movement with Spain.

Spain's prime minister has blamed trafficking gangs after about 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. At least 57 people died during the surge, according to local media. Pedro Sánchez called the incident a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity". Italy has responded by suspending the EU's border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain. The influx comes after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish enclave, cannot be summarily returned to Morocco. As of Friday evening, more than 48,000 of the migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco, Spanish officials said. One migrant told Reuters news agency he was going back, adding: "It's not good at all, and it's not fun either. I mean, people are dying here. I beg you, please, if you haven't come yet, don't come. Don't do it." Ceuta on the North African coast is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar. It has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. During the summer months there is often a big push to reach Ceuta, typically organised over social media. Coveted by Morocco, Ceuta and another Spanish enclave Melilla have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations between the two countries. They form the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Local officials had appealed to Madrid for help after a recent rise in attempted crossings, but there were chaotic scenes on Thursday as border controls apparently broke down.