The European Union will hold emergency talks on Tuesday to address the migration crisis in Ceuta, following tense exchanges between Spain and other member states after around 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco.
Twenty-two member states, including the Netherlands, Finland, and Belgium, signed a joint letter calling for coordinated action and stronger EU external borders. The letter, addressed to EU President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Irish Taoiseach Michael Martin, whose country currently holds the Council of the EU presidency, warned against “hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible,” cautioning that such perceptions could encourage further attempts, undermine confidence in the bloc’s common migration policy, and carry consequences for all member states.
Spain, for its part, condemned what it called a “selfish, polarising and unlawful” reaction to the crisis, after Italy suspended its border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain for a month, a move backed by Finland and Denmark. Officials say almost all migrants who reached Ceuta on July 30 have since departed, though deaths linked to the surge in crossings have climbed to at least 67.
In a separate letter to von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he held “serious concerns” about certain European governments’ response. He said Spain had fully restored control over the border and prevented any unauthorized onward movement toward continental Europe within less than 48 hours. While most EU governments had shown support and solidarity, Sánchez said others had chosen to attack Spain instead, driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest,” and noted that Ceuta itself is not part of the Schengen area.
On Friday, Sánchez accused migrant traffickers of exploiting a recent Spanish supreme court ruling that limited the government’s ability to immediately deport people arriving by sea. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Saturday that the situation had nearly returned to normal, with businesses in Ceuta reopening and almost all migrants having left, while Spain works on installing an inflatable barrier to deter further illegal crossings by water.
Schengen Under Strain
The episode has reignited debate over the Schengen Area, the border-free zone spanning more than 450 million people across 29 European countries. Beyond Italy’s suspension, Finland, France, and Portugal have all said they are either considering or actively reviewing border checks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged the EU to “consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation.”
Von der Leyen described the images from Ceuta as “unacceptable,” writing on social media that “we cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded that Morocco “take back illegal migrants immediately,” while UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Saturday he had spoken with Sánchez and that Britain was “providing what help we can.”
A Recurring Flashpoint
Together with Melilla, Ceuta forms the EU’s only land border with Africa, with migrants able to enter the enclave by swimming several kilometers along the coast. While this year’s surge is extraordinary in scale, Ceuta has long served as a focal point for migrants seeking to reach Europe, with summer months often bringing coordinated pushes organized over social media. In 2021, roughly 8,000 people entered Ceuta within days, straining Spain’s diplomatic relations with Morocco at the time.
Spain has generally maintained a relatively welcoming approach to immigration; in April, the government approved plans to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants, formally integrating them into the workforce.
