• Tens of thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, leading to a crisis and causing concern in Europe.
• European Union interior ministers are holding a video conference to discuss the migrant influx in Ceuta, with Spain estimating around 2,500 migrants remaining in the territory.
• The surge of migrants has sparked tensions between Spain and other EU countries, with differing views on migration policies and border management strategies.

European Union interior ministers are holding a video conference call on Tuesday to discuss the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta which led to a rift between Spain and many other EU countries.

Last week, up to 60,000 people reached the tiny territory from Morocco, many by swimming. At least 72 migrants died trying to make the crossing.

The majority have however now returned to Morocco. Madrid puts the number of remaining migrants at around 2,500, saying that the repatriation operations are not yet complete.

Ahead of the talks, the European Commission suggested enhancing border management early-warning systems and improving financial support for Morocco.

While it remains unclear what triggered the sudden influx of people, the surge has put the highly sensitive topic of migration on top of the EU agenda.

Spain under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has adopted rather liberal migration policies, including the recent decision to legalize the status of around 500,000 irregular migrants.

Reacting to events in Ceuta, 22 EU leaders who promote more restrictive migration policies criticized Madrid, arguing that such policies could encourage further migration. Some member countries stepped up checks at borders with other EU countries.

Spain's left-wing government, in turn, accused the other member states of exploiting the crisis for political gain.