European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for stronger external border protection following the mass influx of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen praised Spain’s response to the crisis but said the incident highlighted the need for tighter border security across the European Union.
“From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points,” she wrote.
Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have now returned to Morocco, exceeding earlier projections of 50,000.
Authorities said the official death toll stands at 72 on the Spanish side of the border, while 11 people died on the Moroccan side.
EU interior ministers are expected to hold an emergency video conference on Tuesday to discuss the crisis and consider measures to strengthen the bloc’s migration policies.
Minor Divisions Among Member States
The mass crossings have exposed divisions among EU member states. Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain following the incident, a move later backed by Finland and Denmark.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also called for Spain’s Schengen membership to be temporarily suspended. Schengen allows passport-free travel across 29 European countries and covers more than 450 million people.
Responding to the criticism, Sánchez expressed concern over the stance taken by some European governments. He stressed that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area. Also accusing some countries of reacting out of “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.”
Von der Leyen acknowledged that protecting the EU’s external borders is a shared responsibility. She called for closer cooperation among member states. Also urging the use of physical barriers where necessary to prevent irregular migration.
The European Commission president also outlined five priority areas for improving migration management. These include strengthening cooperation with partner countries, reinforcing external borders, improving early warning systems, dismantling migrant smuggling networks and accelerating the return of irregular migrants.
Spanish authorities have blamed migrant trafficking networks for exploiting a recent Supreme Court ruling that limited the government’s ability to immediately return migrants intercepted after arriving by sea.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the situation in Ceuta has largely returned to normal.
He added that authorities are working on installing an inflatable maritime barrier to reduce illegal crossings along the coastline.
