European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for
"united action"on border security after the chaotic influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta last week. Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have now returned to Morocco, exceeding initial estimates of 50,000, while the official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.
On Tuesday, EU interior ministers will hold emergency talks by video conference to discuss the situation. The scenes in Ceuta have strained relations among some of the EU's 27 member states, as governments argue over border security, migration controls and Spain's role within Europe’s open-border system.
How has the EU responded?
In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen praised his
"swift handling"of the crisis. She added:
"From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points."She later warned that
"the protection of all our external borders is a shared European responsibility"and called for
"vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed".
Tuesday's video conference will be a chance to draw
"lessons"from the Ceuta episode, von der Leyen said, warning the challenges of illegal immigration require
"a common European response, united action and solidarity". She urged the EU to
"double down"in five areas: preventing irregular migration in the first place via cooperation with partner states; strengthening external borders; implementing early warning systems; dismantling smuggling networks and reinforcing returns.
Why has the Ceuta crisis caused tension in Europe?
The scenes in Ceuta have strained relations among some of the EU's 27 member states. In response to the Ceuta crossings, Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen arrangement with Spain. The Schengen agreement eliminates border checks and now encompasses more than 450 million people and 29 countries in Europe.
Finland and Denmark backed Italy's move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. In response, Sánchez said he had
"serious concerns"about some European governments and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.
While most had shown
"support and solidarity", he said other European governments had chosen to attack Spain,
"driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest".
What is Spain saying about the migrant arrivals?
Sánchez has accused migrant traffickers of exploiting a decision recently made by the country's supreme court which constrained the government's right to immediately deport people who had arrived by sea. The country's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Saturday that the situation had almost returned to normal and the country was working on inflatable barrier to prevent illegal migration via the water.
The migrant crossings began on 30 July, when thousands entered Spain's Ceuta from Morocco. Watch footage showed migrants starting to return to Morocco after the surge.
Key Facts
- About 69,500 migrants have now returned to Morocco, according to Spain.
- The initial estimate was 50,000 migrants.
- The official death toll stands at 72 on the Spanish side and 11 on the Moroccan side.
- EU interior ministers will hold emergency video talks on Tuesday.
- Ceuta is a Spanish exclave and not part of the Schengen area.
