After a reported 8,000 migrants arrived in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this week, Spain's defense minister accused Morocco of "aggression" and "blackmail."

During an interview with Spanish public radio, Margarita Robles said, "It is an aggression of Spanish borders and the borders of the European Union, and this is illegal in international law," adding that Rabat was "using" minors.

Spain's military deployed to the Moroccan border earlier this week, expelling thousands of migrants who had scaled fences or swum to Ceuta, European territory. The surge of people attempting to cross came just days after Morocco relaxed border controls in the midst of a diplomatic spat with Spain.

Hundreds of migrants attempted to force their way into Ceuta on Wednesday, despite the involvement of the military. On the Moroccan side of the border, in the town of Fnideq, a few kilometers from Ceuta, police, and migrants clashed.

Several small children were rescued from the water by Spanish police divers during the crossing, and soldiers stationed at the border were seen assisting children in climbing ashore.

Many of the thousands of migrants still in Ceuta were youngsters, some as young as seven or nine years old and some without families, according to Ione Belarra, Spain's Minister of Social Rights. Deporting minors is prohibited in Spain.

"We're trying to solve the problem of children who have arrived by themselves," Belarra told TVE. "Most of them were unaware of the dangers of crossing the frontier. Many of them have expressed a desire to return. As a result, we're working hard to make that happen."

Several Spanish and Moroccan non-governmental organizations have condemned the fact that these minors are becoming victims of the two countries' feud and are concerned that they will be deported to Morocco.

Tensions between Madrid and Rabat have been the after it was announced that Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, which seeks Moroccan independence for Western Sahara, is undergoing medical treatment in Spain.