Von der Leyen calls for joint EU border action after Ceuta migrant surge

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged EU member states to take 'united action' on border security in the wake of last week's chaotic arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Spanish authorities now estimate that around 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco, surpassing the initial figure of 50,000. The official death toll stands at 72 on the Spanish side of the border and 11 on the Moroccan side.

On Tuesday, EU interior ministers are due to hold emergency video-conference talks to address the crisis. The events in Ceuta have increased tensions among some of the 27 member states. In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Von der Leyen praised his 'swift handling' of the situation, but stressed that 'from this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points.'

In response to the border crossings, Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen arrangement with Spain. The Schengen agreement eliminates passport checks across more than 450 million people in 29 European countries. Finland and Denmark supported Italy's move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. Sánchez replied that he had 'serious concerns' about some European governments and noted that Ceuta itself is not part of the Schengen area. While most had shown 'support and solidarity', he said others had attacked Spain 'driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest'.

In her letter, Von der Leyen 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'. She described Tuesday's video conference as a chance to draw 'lessons' from the Ceuta episode, adding that the challenges of illegal immigration require 'a common European response, united action and solidarity'.

She also urged the EU to 'double down' in five priority areas: preventing irregular migration through cooperation with partner countries; strengthening external borders; implementing early warning systems; dismantling people-smuggling networks; and reinforcing returns.

Sánchez has accused migrant traffickers of exploiting a recent decision by Spain's supreme court that limited the government's right to immediately deport people arriving by sea. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday that the situation had almost returned to normal and that authorities were working on an inflatable barrier to prevent illegal crossings by water.