Around 60,000 migrants crossed the border between Morocco and Spain on July 30.
Around 60,000 migrants crossed the border with Ceuta on a single day (Image: Getty)
EU members have plunged into a war of words as a Spanish official branded the reaction of some members of the bloc to the massive Ceuta migrant crossings as “selfish, polarising and unlawful”. It comes after Italy temporarily suspended the European Union’s border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain in light of the incident on July 30, which saw tens of thousands of migrants entering Europe through the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister, said: “We do have land borders with Africa, which is not the case for any other member country [of the EU]”. He said that while most EU countries have expressed their support for Spain in this situation, there have been other countries that have “shown a very selfish attitude with no solidarity. They have taken a selfish approach, trying to score party points. This attitude is not acceptable.” He didn’t name any country.
He said Frontex, the EU agency tasked with managing the bloc’s external borders, has previously highlighted that Spain has the second-most secure borders in the EU.
Juan Jesus Vivas, Ceuta’s mayor-president, has said the territory needs a “border that is fit for purpose” and that “preventative mechanisms” are needed. He said: “This must not happen again. Ceuta is not back to normal yet. He also argued “congratulations are in order” for the huge number of migrants who have already been returned to Morocco.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the scenes in Ceuta had once again highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated European response to illegal immigration.
In a post on X, she noted that 22 of the EU’s 27 member states had signed a joint letter calling for stronger action to reinforce the bloc’s external borders and combat irregular migration.
Meloni added that Italy’s firm approach to illegal immigration is increasingly gaining support across Europe, with a growing number of countries backing tougher measures to manage migration flows and enhance border security.
At least 86 people have died in the crossings (Image: Getty)
The Schengen Area allows passport-free travel across 29 European countries by removing border controls between participating states.
In response, Spain summoned the Italian ambassador to Madrid to express its concerns, while Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares criticised Italy’s move and said he expected “European solidarity rather than partisan demagoguery.”
Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.
On Thursday, around 60,000 migrants crossed the border between Morocco and Spain’s Ceuta.
The number of people who died in the incident has grown to 86, according to local government official.
Spain’s interior minister earlier blamed the surge of crossings on “the actions of mafias, human traffickers, and people who take advantage of vulnerable people”.