Officials in the Spanish territory of Ceuta on the northwestern tip of Africa on Thursday asked the government in Madrid to declare a national emergency and send the army to help secure its border with Morocco.
The call came as video footage showed crowds of people trying to walk around the breakwaters separating Moroccan and Spanish territory or otherwise scale the border fence.
The AP news agency showed video footage shot by a freelance photographer of crowds reaching a beach and roads in the city, while Spanish news agency EFE reported that hundreds had climbed over protective barriers at places and a time when a police presence was not on hand.
A spokesman for Spain's Guardia Civil police told Reuters that migrants had overwhelmed police at the city's breakwater, after swimming over from the Moroccan side, and were entering en masse. They did not estimate a figure.
In recent days, rescue parties had noted increased numbers of people trying to swim around the border checks.
