Post by : Badri Ariffin

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a united European response to strengthen border security following the large-scale arrival of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.

In a letter sent to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen praised Spain's quick response to the crisis but stressed that the incident showed the need for stronger protection at key external borders across the European Union.

She said the protection of the EU's external borders is a shared responsibility and called for closer cooperation among member states to deal with illegal migration.

Spain Reports 69,500 Migrants Returned to Morocco

According to Spanish authorities, around 69,500 migrants have now returned to Morocco, a figure higher than the earlier estimate of 50,000.

Officials also confirmed that the death toll stands at 72 people on the Spanish side of the border and 11 people on the Moroccan side.

Spain's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Saturday that conditions had almost returned to normal. He also confirmed that Spain is working on installing an inflatable barrier in the water to help prevent illegal migration by sea.

Emergency EU Talks Scheduled

EU interior ministers are due to hold an emergency video conference on Tuesday to discuss the situation and examine the next steps.

Von der Leyen said the meeting would allow member states to draw lessons from the events in Ceuta and highlighted that illegal migration requires a common European approach based on unity and solidarity.

Schengen Dispute Raises Tensions Among EU Members

The crisis has also created political tensions within the European Union.

Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen arrangement with Spain following the Ceuta crossings.

Finland and Denmark supported Italy's decision, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called for the temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership.

In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had serious concerns about the position taken by some European governments. He pointed out that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area.

Sánchez said that while many countries had shown support and solidarity, others had criticized Spain because of "prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest."

Von der Leyen Outlines Five Priority Areas

In her letter, Ursula von der Leyen said Europe must strengthen its response to irregular migration by focusing on five key priorities:

• Preventing irregular migration through stronger cooperation with partner countries.
• Strengthening protection at the EU's external borders.
• Improving early warning systems.
• Breaking up migrant smuggling networks.
• Reinforcing the return of migrants without legal permission to remain.

She also said physical barriers should be used where necessary and called for continuous monitoring of Europe's external borders.

Spain Blames Smuggling Networks

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused migrant trafficking groups of taking advantage of a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court.

According to Sánchez, the court's decision limited the government's ability to immediately deport people who arrived in Spain by sea, creating an opportunity for smugglers to exploit the situation.

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