A ruling, a rumour, a rush: What happened before thousands crossed into Spain’s Ceuta enclave from Morocco

Thousands of migrants crossed into Spain's Ceuta enclave from Morocco after the border gate opened, with 18 deaths reported by Spain's interior ministry.

Spain's Supreme Court ruled in July that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned, weakening authorities' power to deport sea migrants.

Spain deployed 200 police officers and 60 troops to reinforce the border after 2,000-3,000 people crossed on Thursday.

Ceuta's reception centres were overwhelmed, with over 1,500 migrants entering in the week before the surge.

The border was opened under unusual circumstances, according to Achraf Maimouni of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.