France is tightening its border checks with Spain in response to the influx of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

In light of the situation in Ceuta, President Emmanuel Macron has called on the minister for the interior to step up checks at the Spanish border, the Élysée Palace in Paris said on Friday.

France is consulting with the Spanish and Moroccan authorities on the situation. Macron wrote on the social media platform X that he had offered the Spanish prime minister any necessary assistance and expressed solidarity.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that he had already issued instructions on Thursday evening to step up checks at the Spanish border without delay.

In addition, the border agency's rapid reaction force will be deployed to carry out checks in the hinterland as well. The unit, which has so far been deployed on the border with Italy to manage migration, comprises officers from the police, the gendarmerie and customs, as well as soldiers from the anti-terrorism unit Sentinelle.

According to Nuñez, 334 police officers and gendarmes would be mobilized from Saturday onwards. In addition, three aircraft would be deployed for aerial surveillance, along with drones, and patrols on trains along the French-Spanish railway line would be stepped up.

France introduced border checks following the Islamist attacks in 2015 for counter-terrorism reasons and has repeatedly extended the checks, which are permitted for six-month periods at a time.

In its latest notification to the European Commission, France justified the extension of the checks on the grounds of the terrorist threat, a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and human trafficking.

The situation in Ceuta remains tense. In recent days, tens of thousands of people have reached the exclave from Morocco, mostly by swimming.

Although Morocco gained independence from France and Spain in 1956, Spain still maintains two exclaves there: Ceuta and Melilla. Near both territories, thousands of people - mainly from sub-Saharan countries - often wait for an opportunity to enter the area, which is part of the EU but not part of the Schengen visa-free travel area.