Burnham urged to boost UK borders after 60,000 migrants break into EU from Morocco

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Tory Priti Patel has demanded immediate action to prevent the thousands of African migrants who illegally crossed the border from Morocco from reaching the UK.

Writing to home secretary Shabana Mahmood and foreign secretary Ed Miliband, Dame Priti demanded strengthened procedures at both the English Channel and Gibraltar.

She asked the Labour figures: "What steps will you take to protect Gibraltar from the risks of these illegal migrants being able to enter illegally should they reach mainland Spain?" and "have you assessed the risk of these migrants travelling towards the UK?"

Spanish authorities have confirmed that a staggering 49,000 migrants surged into the enclave of Ceuta on the Moroccan coast during chaotic scenes on Thursday.

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Dame Priti told the Labour government that some of those who crossed would now inevitably try to reach Britain.

The Spanish government deployed military units to North African enclave as migrants surged by sea and land into the territory - one of only three land borders with Europe on the African continent.

Video footage showed thousands of migrants, mostly young men, swimming or floating on inner tubes from the Moroccan side, and others breaking through a gate on land and running into the city.

At least 57 migrants died trying to reach the enclave.

Italy announced it is suspending the EU's border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month in response to the mass influx.

And, Donald Trump has weighed in on the situation calling it as a "catastrophe".

On Friday evening, the US President described the ongoing incident as: "an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people."

He added that the Spanish government "don't know what to do and it's happening again today."

"They're coming in by the thousands— tens of thousands. They're just invading the country."

He added that "nobody's seen anything like it."

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Cars were seen burning on the streets back on the Moroccan side of the Melilla border as hundreds waited their turn to try and jump the fence. Fires were reportedly started by frustrated arsonists denied passage.

Hundreds even converged on a supermarket, where staff were forced to let a few men through a huge gate at a time.

It is estimated that over 37,000 of people who had crossed ​the border by land and sea already heading back voluntarily.

It was initially reported that around 49,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the space of just one day, as they rushed by sea and land from Morocco, but this is now estimated to be around 60,000.

European Council president Ursula Von Der Leyen posted online: "The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.

"We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.

"Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow."

It comes as the British Government offered support to Spain as the flow of migrants continues, Andy Burnham has said on Friday.

Speaking on Friday, the Prime Minister was asked about migrant crossings throughout Europe, including over the English Channel to the UK.

“It’s a concerning situation and I know people will see those scenes and want something to be done, more to be done,” he replied.

“What I have done is firstly keep the current Home Secretary (Shabana Mahmood) in place because the plan she has implemented has started to make a difference.

“Although this is the peak period of the year for crossings, overall the number of crossings is down, the number of removals of people is up.

“So, there is progress, but we both recognise that we need to do more.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp warned that if the migrants who crossed into Ceuta can access the European continent, then “there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel”.

The Conservative frontbencher said: “The Spanish government should expel them straight back to Morocco and certainly not allow any onto the Spanish mainland.

“If these illegal immigrants do make it to Spain, then the EU’s borderless Schengen zone means there is nothing to stop them coming straight to Calais and trying to get a boat across the Channel here.

“Spain’s border crisis could rapidly become our border crisis.”