CEUTA, Spain — Spanish authorities reported fresh migrant crossings into the North African enclave of Ceuta on Sunday, as the Interior Ministry pressed Morocco to reinforce border patrols. The Guardia Civil said dozens attempted to reach Spanish soil overnight.

Ceuta, one of two small Spanish territories bordering Morocco, has long been a flashpoint for irregular migration into the European Union. The tiny enclave shares an eight-kilometre land border with Morocco, and periodic surges have repeatedly strained Spanish reception facilities and inflamed diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat.

The latest crossings followed a broader spike in arrivals in recent days. The spike has drawn national attention and generated a wave of misinformation online, with unsubstantiated claims circulating on social media about the scale and organisation of the movement.

Spain's Interior Ministry said it was working with Moroccan authorities to coordinate returns and increase surveillance along the frontier. Local officials in Ceuta appealed to the central government in Madrid for additional resources, warning that reception centres were nearing capacity and that unaccompanied minors were among those arriving.

The European Commission has repeatedly cited the Western Mediterranean route as a priority for cooperation with Morocco. Sunday's developments underscored the fragility of the arrangements underpinning border management between the two countries.