EU urges tighter border controls after mass migrant arrivals in Ceuta

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the recent surge of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta highlights the need for "united action" on border security. Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have been returned to Morocco, surpassing earlier figures, and the death toll stands at 72 on the Spanish side and 11 in Morocco.

Von der Leyen wrote to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, praising his "swift handling" of the situation but stressing that the incident shows the necessity of further strengthening borders at critical points. She emphasized that protecting external EU borders is a shared responsibility and called for vigilant monitoring and, where appropriate, physical barriers.

An emergency video conference of EU interior ministers is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the crisis and draw lessons from the Ceuta episode. Von der Leyen urged a common European response, including measures to prevent irregular migration, reinforce external borders, implement early-warning systems, dismantle smuggling networks and improve return processes.

Sánchez expressed concerns about the reactions of some EU governments, noting that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area and accusing certain officials of politicising the issue.