Spanish police and military personnel have escorted large groups of migrants back toward Morocco following one of the largest migration surges ever recorded at the Ceuta border.
Video from the area shows security forces accompanying migrants along roads leading to the El Tarajal border crossing, with many returning across the frontier into Morocco.
The operation follows a dramatic influx that saw around 50,000 people enter the Spanish enclave by land and sea beginning on July 31, overwhelming local authorities and emergency services.
Spanish officials say the vast majority of those who crossed returned voluntarily within 48 hours, while authorities continued processing those who remained.
Officials also confirmed that 57 bodies were recovered on the Spanish side of the border, with the deaths attributed to drowning and crush incidents during attempts to cross the breakwater and surrounding border area.
Authorities warned that additional casualties may have occurred on the Moroccan side, although no official figures have been released.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two autonomous enclaves in North Africa, have long served as major migration routes into Europe, but officials described the latest influx as unprecedented in both speed and scale.
Spain and Morocco continue coordinating border operations as both countries work to restore security and prevent further irregular crossings into the European Union.
