African migrants gathered on a beach in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Monday, holding a makeshift 'lottery' to decide who would get the chance to register at the city's overwhelmed CETI reception centre.

Migrants are seen handing their documents to a man acting as an on-site moderator before waiting for names to be called. Some cheer and smile after being selected, then leave the beach.

Local authorities have not commented on the scenes.

Ceuta's CETI reception centre, with an official capacity of 512, remains overwhelmed, leaving hundreds of migrants sleeping outside or on nearby beaches as they wait for places. The Spanish government has announced four temporary reception sites with room for another 1,500 people.

The makeshift system follows the unprecedented mass crossing from neighbouring Morocco in late July, when tens of thousands of people entered Ceuta. Spanish government estimates have since put the figure at around 80,000.

Most of those who crossed were subsequently returned to Morocco, although thousands remain in Ceuta as authorities worked through asylum and immigration cases. Meanwhile, authorities have reinforced security around Ceuta following the crisis.

The situation has eased since the late-July surge but has fuelled tensions between EU countries that share open borders and drawn criticism of the Spanish government.

Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish-administered territories on the North African coast and form the European Union's only land borders with Africa.