Between 3,000 to 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta

More than 72,000 people crossed illegally into the exclave last week, drawing global headlines and condemnation from world leaders including President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

While speaking from a video call during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas also revealed around 100 people died during the surge.

Police and forensic scientists have drafted in extra staff to try to identify the bodies of 80 migrants found after last week's mass rush into Spain's Ceuta enclave, as desperate families wait for news of missing loved ones.

Addressing the European Parliament on Thursday, Mr Vivas spoke of his "profound sorrow" over the "irreparable tragedy" that claimed around 100 lives after roughly 78,000 migrants arrived by sea in a matter of hours.