Spain’s 48-hour response: How authorities returned thousands of illegal migrants to Morocco

Authorities used water cannons, tear gas and warning shots to repel some crossings. Several migrants drowned or were killed in a stampede during the attemptSpain has sent tens of thousands of illegal migrants back to Morocco within 48 hours after an unprecedented surge of crossings into the North African enclave of Ceuta. The mass migration triggered what officials described as a humanitarian and security crisis.According to Spain’s interior ministry, around 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta on Thursday, a figure that amounted to roughly 70 per cent of the enclave’s population. By Saturday, about 48,000 had already returned to Morocco as Spanish authorities rapidly restored control of the border.Images from Ceuta showed large groups of North African migrants being escorted by Spanish soldiers