Following the mass entry of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's Ceuta exclave from Morocco, the European Union has begun strengthening security measures at external borders. BBC reported.
According to the publication, in a letter sent to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the situation was a serious warning for the European Union. In her view, external borders should be further strengthened, controls increased, and physical barriers used where necessary.
(Photo by BBC)
According to the Spanish government, 69,500 migrants have so far been returned to Morocco. This is significantly higher than the initial estimate of 50,000 previously announced.
According to official data, during the mass border crossings, 72 people died on the Spanish side and 11 on the Moroccan side.
To discuss this situation, interior ministers of European Union member states are planning to hold an emergency videoconference. The meeting will draw lessons from the events in Ceuta and discuss measures to prevent such crises in the future.
The events in Ceuta also caused disagreements among European states. Italy announced it would temporarily suspend the Schengen arrangement with Spain. Finland and Denmark supported this decision. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, meanwhile, put forward a proposal to temporarily suspend Spain's participation in the Schengen system.
In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez criticized the attitude of some European states. He reminded that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area, saying that most countries supported Spain, while some criticized the country under the influence of "fake news, misconceptions and political interests."
Ursula von der Leyen stressed that protecting the EU's external borders is a common responsibility of all member states. She noted the need to strengthen cooperation with partner countries to combat illegal migration, reinforce external borders, develop early warning systems, fight human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and improve mechanisms for returning illegal migrants to their home countries.
At the same time, Pedro Sanchez said that criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling are taking advantage of a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court that limits the possibility of immediately deporting migrants arriving by sea.
