Spain condemns EU backlash after mass migrant crossings into Ceuta

Spain has condemned what it called the “selfish, polarising and unlawful” response from some European Union countries after about 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Spanish officials said almost all of those who arrived on 30 July had since returned, while Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday that at least 67 people had died during the surge in crossings.

The political consequences have spread across Europe. Italy temporarily suspended the EU’s border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni describing the scenes as “shocking”. Finland and Denmark supported Italy’s decision, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called for Spain’s Schengen membership to be suspended temporarily.

EU interior ministers are due to discuss the crisis by video conference on Tuesday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for an urgent meeting to “reaffirm that the security of our external borders is a shared responsibility of all Member States”. Twenty-two of the EU’s 27 member states also backed emergency talks in an open letter, saying they had “serious concerns” about the developments in Ceuta.

Those countries welcomed the close co-operation between Spain and Morocco to secure the swift return of migrants. They said a video conference could help reach agreement on using EU measures and providing support to Spain as it sought to restore “effective control” of the border and prevent further uncontrolled crossings.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Sanchez said he had “serious concerns” about the response from some European governments.

He said Spain had restored control of the border and stopped any “unauthorised onward movement towards continental Europe” within 48 hours. Although most countries had offered “support and solidarity”, he accused others of attacking Spain because they were “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest”.

Sanchez also stressed that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.

“The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” he said.

Border control restored, Spain says

The crossings resulted in chaotic scenes on Thursday, when border controls in Ceuta appeared to collapse. By Saturday, however, Grande-Marlaska said the situation had almost returned to normal and that businesses had reopened.

“Almost all of [the migrants] have already left Ceuta,” he told reporters. “The situation has been almost entirely reversed.”

Spain has also begun installing an inflatable maritime barrier intended to prevent further illegal entry by sea.

Madrid has deployed troops, additional police officers, drones, divers and boats to Ceuta. Armed forces have also been sent to strengthen security in Melilla, the other Spanish enclave in North Africa, where hundreds of crossings were reported.

Sanchez, who visited Ceuta after the influx, said he was considering reinforcing the border with Morocco and that Moroccan officials were co-operating with Spain.

He blamed trafficking gangs for the surge, describing it as a “violation of Spain’s territorial integrity”.

“Trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling” which “spread like wildfire”, he said.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner said, following a telephone conversation with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, that “not a single person has crossed to mainland EU”.

Spain’s Supreme Court ruled in June that migrants intercepted at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be returned to Morocco immediately without due process. The ruling has since become part of the political debate surrounding the crossings.

European tensions grow

On Thursday, Meloni said on social media that “uncontrolled immigration” represented a threat to national security before suspending the Schengen zone agreement with Spain for one month.

The Schengen Area covers 29 European countries that have removed checks at their shared borders.

Spain summoned the Italian ambassador in Madrid in response, while its foreign minister said he expected “European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery”.

Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said preparations had begun to restore internal border checks “if the need arises”. She also called on “all European countries” to support Meloni.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged the EU to “consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation”.

France tightened checks on its border with Spain and said it would increase the number of police officers there by Saturday. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said his government was considering reinforcing border controls.

Von der Leyen described the images from Ceuta as “unacceptable”.

“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she said on social media.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he “supports Spain’s intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European continent” and demanded that Morocco “take back illegal migrants immediately”.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Saturday that he had spoken to Sanchez and that the UK was “providing what help we can”.

In the United States, the State Department said the incident was a direct result of Spain’s migration policies. President Donald Trump called it a “catastrophe” and said, “it looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people”.

Ceuta’s long-standing role in migration

Although this year’s influx was described as extraordinary, Ceuta has long been a focus for migrants seeking to reach Europe. During the summer, attempts to enter the enclave often increase and are commonly organised through social media.

In 2021, about 8,000 people entered Ceuta over several days, worsening diplomatic tensions between Spain and Morocco.

Ceuta and Melilla together form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa. Migrants can try to reach Ceuta by swimming several kilometres.

Morocco has been affected by a high unemployment rate and experienced several Gen Z anti-government protests last year. Young demonstrators called for better opportunities and improvements to public services.

Spain has generally pursued a relatively friendly approach to immigration. In April, its government approved plans to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants, enabling them to be formally integrated into the workforce.

Italy’s right-wing prime minister had already criticised Sanchez at that time, saying the policy would “affect its neighbours”.

In June, the European Parliament approved tougher migration rules giving authorities wider powers to return people who arrive irregularly.