EU Tightens Border Controls After Mass Migrant Influx into Ceuta

France and Italy have tightened border controls after around 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, triggering one of the European Union’s largest migration crises in recent years. Spanish authorities said more than 48,000 people have since returned, while at least 34 migrants died attempting the dangerous crossing.

The surge prompted the EU to convene emergency crisis meetings, requested by Ireland in its role as holder of the EU Presidency, to assess the situation and its implications for the bloc’s migration policies. France has significantly increased police and security checks along its border with Spain, while Italy has suspended Schengen free movement with Spain for one month.

Spain has deployed additional troops, police, drones and maritime patrols to Ceuta, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visiting the enclave to oversee the response. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the scenes as “unacceptable” and stressed that EU borders must be protected.

The crisis has also sparked diplomatic tensions across Europe, with several countries calling for stricter migration controls. Spanish officials blamed people-smuggling networks for exploiting misinformation about immigration rules, while maintaining that security at the EU’s external borders remains under control.

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