In brief
Spanish officials have condemned the reaction of some EU states to the sudden arrival of about 60,000 migrants from Morocco into the North African enclave Ceuta. Spain’s interior minister and prime minister have warned that the surge was orchestrated by trafficking networks, and praised the swift deployment of troops, police and drones to restore border security. The EU’s break in Schengen cooperation, led by Italy and supported by Finland, Denmark, Czechia and France, has caused diplomatic tensions, but Spain insists it has no support from the EU for “unlawful” conduct that would let migrants reach the mainland of Europe. The incident has sparked calls from EU leaders, such as Germany and France, for stricter enforcement and has been described by the U.S. State Department as a direct result of Spain’s migration policy. Spain’s response highlights the complexity of protecting border sovereignty while maintaining solidarity across Europe.
Spain has criticised the response of some EU states to the arrival of around 60,000 migrants from Morocco in the North African enclave Ceuta. The ministry called the reaction selfish, polarising and unlawful, describing it as driven by prejudice, fake news or political interest.
Almost all of the migrants who reached Ceuta on 30 July have since returned, but the interior minister said the death toll had risen to 67. Spain said it had fully restored control over the border and had prevented any unauthorised movement toward continental Europe in less than two days.
Italy suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain for a month after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the scene “shocking.” Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic backed Italy’s move, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that trafficking gangs had taken a self‑serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling and spread the surge like a wildfire. He blamed the incident for violating Spain’s territorial integrity and vowed to strengthen border checks – even considering reinforcement measures in the other enclave, Melilla.
European leaders have reacted. France tightened checks on the Spanish border, Germany demanded Morocco take back illegal migrants immediately, and the U.S. State Department blamed Spain’s migration policies for the crisis, with President Donald Trump describing it as a catastrophe.
