EU calls emergency talks as Ceuta crisis strains Schengen

A majority of European Union member states called on Saturday for emergency talks over the sudden influx of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, according to The Local Italy. The request comes as Italy confirmed it had suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain, a measure affecting people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, the Guardian reported.

The crisis unfolded over recent days as as many as 50,000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco, with at least 57 deaths reported, according to the Guardian. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez decried a 'violation of territorial integrity' and visited the enclave accompanied by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the paper reported.

France has also tightened border checks and increased police numbers at its Spanish frontier, France 24 reported, as the EU grapples with one of its largest migrant crises in recent years.