EU commends Spain's 'swift response' to Ceuta migrant crisis
About 70,000 of the 72,000 people who came to Ceuta illegally last week have been returned to Morocco, Spain says.
The European Union has commended Spain's "swift response" to the migrant crisis in Ceuta, following a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers on Tuesday. This comes after approximately 72,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish territory in North Africa between July 30 and 31, according to Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. He also stated that an estimated 70,000 have since been returned to Morocco.
During the crisis, at least 75 people died on the Spanish side of the border, with 11 deaths reported in Morocco. On Tuesday, hundreds of migrants were photographed on a Ceuta beach receiving aid.
Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, affirmed the EU's solidarity with Spain and emphasized the need for "a united European response" to migration.
The meeting had been anticipated to be contentious due to prior criticism of Spain from several EU nations. On Thursday, Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the images from Ceuta as "shocking," asserting on social media that such "uncontrolled immigration" posed a security threat to Europe.
Italy subsequently suspended the Schengen zone agreement with Spain on free movement on Friday. As the two countries lack a land border, this effectively applies only to flights, seemingly entailing additional checks for passengers. The Schengen agreement, which eliminates border checks, currently encompasses over 450 million people and 29 European countries.
Finland and Denmark supported Italy's decision, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš advocated for a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. Italy, along with Denmark and 20 other nations, later sent a letter expressing concern over the Ceuta migrant crisis and requesting a meeting of EU ministers.
In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez voiced "serious concerns" about some European governments, highlighting that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area. He noted that while most had shown "support and solidarity," other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, "driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest."
Following Tuesday's meeting, Grande-Marlaska stated that the Schengen zone had not been compromised and expressed hope that Italy would lift any added controls "as soon as possible." Denmark's immigration minister Morten Bødskov expressed satisfaction with Spain's quick response but added that the incident demonstrated the "absolutely crucial" need for "control over the EU's borders."
EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner, speaking after the meeting, described the incident as a "test" of European resilience and border security, which he said had been successfully "passed." Brunner also mentioned that the EU had offered Spain emergency financial support to strengthen its borders and manage the crisis.
The exact cause for the tens of thousands of migrants crossing from Morocco into Ceuta within a few hours last week remains unknown. Brunner suggested that criminal networks and social media disinformation likely fueled the influx.
These crossings occurred after Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla, another Spanish exclave, could not be summarily returned to Morocco. Moroccan authorities later claimed they had warned Spain that the ruling would create "a problem," a claim Spain rejected. A Spanish government spokeswoman stated they had no evidence or intelligence "that alerted us to the magnitude of this unprecedented event."