Residents of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco in North Africa, called on the government and the European Union (EU) to come up with measures after a mass incursion by migrants last month.
According to Euronews and the EFE news agency, thousands of Ceuta residents took to the streets on the 9th local time to hold a protest urging border measures.
At the rally, co-hosted by four religious groups in Ceuta, about 10,000 people took part according to organizers, and more than 5,000 according to police.
They gathered at Constitution Square to demand solutions from the government to the migrant crisis.
Through a "Ceuta integration declaration," organizers defined the current moment as an "extremely urgent situation."
They also urged the Spanish government and Europe to present immediate, firm and appropriate responses to the migratory pressure facing Ceuta.
They raised their voices that the government and the EU should provide sufficient human and material support and ensure the welfare of Ceuta residents.
Some protesters accused the Spanish government of neglecting the situation and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Ceuta Mayor Juan Vivas and figures from across the political sphere joined the protest.
Mayor Vivas said, "This is now an unsustainable situation," and asked the central government to provide more support.
Vivas emphasized that migrants who crossed the border should be returned to Morocco.
In the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the 30th of last month, about 72,000 migrants crossed the Moroccan border in a mass influx.
Italy has clashed with Spain, including by suspending application of the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees free movement within the EU.