About 49,000 migrants enter Spanish territory of Ceuta, officials say

Spain later deployed its armed forces to bolster security in Ceuta and at its sister city of Melilla, where between 300 to 400 crossings were also reported overnight.Coveted by Morocco, both cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations with Spain. Madrid asserts that both territories are integral parts of Spain and have the same status as the semi-autonomous regions on its mainland.They form the European Union's only land borders with Africa.ReutersCrowds gathered at the border between Morocco and Spain overnightMany of those crossing the border from Morocco have been young, mainly men, although there are also women and children in the crowds and even babies.Officials estimate at least 7,000 of those who crossed illegally into the territory in the last 24 hours are minors.Usually, to try to enter Ceuta, migrants swim several kilometres from further up the coast. This time they appear to have been able to get close to the border fence itself with ease. At the start, some even walked along the rocks on the jetty and around the end of it, but most had to swim out and around to reach the beaches on the other side.It's not clear where the Moroccan border guards were at this point and why the groups of migrants were not dispersed or stopped.