EU calls emergency meeting after 60,000 migrants cross into Ceuta, majority returned
Ireland's EU presidency schedules a Tuesday videoconference of justice and home affairs ministers after nearly 60,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave; most have since returned.
The border breach
On Thursday and Friday, nearly 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave of about 85,000 people on the North African coast. The Spanish interior ministry said on Friday evening that the vast majority had already returned to Morocco, with one report putting the figure at around 37,500. The death toll from the crossing stands at 67, including people who drowned and those who died in a crush at the breakwater barrier.
- Migrants crossed
- 60000 people
- Returned to Morocco
- 37500 people
- Deaths
- 67 people
EU calls emergency meeting
Ireland, which holds the rotating EU Council presidency, announced on Saturday that it would convene an extraordinary meeting of justice and home affairs ministers on Tuesday via videoconference. Prime Minister Micheál Martin confirmed the meeting on X. Irish justice minister Jim O'Callaghan will chair the session. The presidency also activated the EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) mechanism on Saturday, bringing together member state experts. EU ambassadors are set to discuss the situation on Monday, also online.
- Nearly 60,000 migrants cross from Morocco into Ceuta on Thursday and Friday.
- Spanish interior ministry reports about 37,500 have returned to Morocco.
- Sanchez sends letter; von der Leyen backs emergency meeting; IPCR activated; Ireland calls JHA council for 4 August.
- EU ambassadors hold online discussion.
- Extraordinary JHA ministerial videoconference chaired by Ireland.
Von der Leyen: no one reached mainland Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a teleconference with Commissioners Magnus Brunner (internal affairs and migration) and Dubravka Šuica (Mediterranean region) and later stated that not a single person had reached mainland Spain or any other EU country. She welcomed the call for an emergency videoconference and stressed the need for solidarity.
The good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco thanks to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. Not a single person has reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU. This shows why control of our European borders matters. We have a solid system in place.
She added that the system must be further strengthened and that the Commission had offered support to Spain from the first moment.
Political fallout and Schengen tensions
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and Irish premier Martin, urging an urgent ministerial meeting. In the letter, he criticised some EU partners for suggesting that Spain be temporarily excluded from the Schengen zone. Italy and Finland were among those calling for restrictions; Italy went as far as closing its maritime and air borders with Spain. Separately, leaders of 22 EU countries, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, sent their own letter pledging to prevent any undermining of the EU's external borders.
Polish interior minister Marcin Kierwiński said Poland would take an active part in the Tuesday meeting and present its experience in protecting the EU's external borders and adapting laws to migration challenges.
Protection of borders must be a priority, and states guarding them must have EU support.
What happens next
The IPCR meeting on Saturday and the ambassadors' discussion on Monday will prepare the ground for Tuesday's ministerial videoconference. The Commission has called for a lessons-learned process to improve resilience. Meanwhile, Spanish and Moroccan authorities continue to manage returns, and the immediate crisis appears to have subsided with the majority of migrants back in Morocco.
