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EU calls for stronger borders after migrant crossings into Spanish territory
bbc.com • • general
Key Points:
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for united EU action to strengthen border security following the sudden influx of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, Spain.
- Spain estimates around 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco, with a death toll of 72 on the Spanish side and 11 on the Moroccan side.
- EU interior ministers will hold emergency talks via video conference to discuss the crisis and coordinate a common European response.
- Von der Leyen emphasized that protecting external borders is a shared responsibility, urging enhanced monitoring, physical barriers, and cooperation with partner states to prevent irregular migration.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed concerns over some EU governments' reactions, highlighting Ceuta's non-membership in the Schengen area and accusing migrant traffickers of exploiting recent legal constraints on deportations.
