EU defends border response after Ceuta crossing

Spain says most of the roughly 72,000 migrants who crossed from Morocco into the North African exclave of Ceuta last week have now returned. But around 2,000 people remain stranded, many hoping to apply for asylum.

The incident triggered political tensions across the EU and prompted an emergency meeting of interior ministers.

While some countries called for tougher measures, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said the bloc's border system had "passed the test" and that none of the migrants entered the Schengen area.