Ceuta, Spain ¨C Spain on Monday insisted its sovereignty over Ceuta was ¡°unquestionable,¡°?after tens of thousands of migrants irregularly entered the north African territory from Morocco in an unprecedented and deadly surge.

Madrid has avoided criticizing Rabat over last week¡¯s mass arrivals, which some commentators have interpreted as a means for Morocco to pressure Spain.

Morocco does not recognize Ceuta and Madrid¡¯s other territory in north Africa, Melilla, as Spanish and has claimed sovereignty over them since its independence in 1956.

Answering a question during televised remarks on Monday, Spain¡¯s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said: ¡°That Ceuta and Melilla are an integral part of Spain¡¯s territory is unquestionable, for the whole world.¡±

Most of the estimated 50,000 people who rushed into Ceuta ¡ª most having swum by sea around the border barrier ¡ª have since returned to Morocco.

The Spanish central government¡¯s delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, said Monday that 2,500 of them were estimated to still be in Ceuta.

Ceuta¡¯s top official Juan Jesus Vivas put the figure at between 3,000 and 5,000.

Dozens were enduring squalid conditions in a warehouse complex, including 29-year-old Nadia.

¡°We don¡¯t have water to wash or shower. The showers and toilets have been closed. Frankly, we¡¯re suffering terribly,¡± the Moroccan said.

Her compatriot, Asia, who had also reached Ceuta from Morocco, added: ¡°There¡¯s dirt and mould. The toilets are filthy. Many people use them, and there aren¡¯t enough for everyone.¡±

The charity Save the Children said ¡°about 1,000¡± of the remaining migrants from last week¡¯s arrivals were minors who were ¡°unprotected.¡±

It said Ceuta¡¯s child protection system had capacity to look after just 100.

Spanish authorities said the toll of 72 people found dead in their waters had not risen on Monday.

Of those, ¡°first we have to identify them, which is the first big problem, because many of them came without any identification,¡± said a source in the Spanish government delegation in Ceuta who asked not to be named.

¡°Then we have to find out who their families are¡± through the Moroccan authorities, the source added. ¡°Then the bodies will have to be identified by the families. So it could be a long process.¡±

Some analysts suggested Morocco might have allowed migrants to cross the border to put diplomatic pressure on Spain, which has recently improved ties with Rabat¡¯s arch-enemy Algeria.

Spanish officials accused criminal gangs of spreading rumors that a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling on immigration would allow migrants easier passage.

EU interior ministers scheduled a video call for Tuesday about the Ceuta migrant surge.