Ursula Von der Leyen urges stronger EU borders after crisis in Ceuta

Ireland to convene meeting of interior minister as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called for stronger border protections and the use of physical barriers where necessary following the mass arrival of people to Ceuta

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen: 'From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points, including vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed. Picture: Paul Faith/PA

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has called for action to strengthen Europe’s borders after tens of thousands of people arrived and quickly left the Spanish territory of Ceuta, triggering a furious row between Madrid and other European countries.

In a letter on Monday to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, as Ireland holds the EU presidency, von der Leyen said: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points, including vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed.” 

She praised the Spanish socialist leader’s swift handling of the crisis, after the vast majority of migrants left Ceuta and Spanish officials began installing a 500m floating barrier at the border ‌with Morocco. 

“Order has been restored and the returns system in place worked,” she wrote in the letter.

Migrants return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Picture: Antonio Sempere/AP

Spain ⁠estimates that about 69,500 migrants ​have returned to Morocco over the past four days, exceeding initial estimates of 50,000 having arrived in the enclave in north Africa on Thursday. 

Authorities in Ceuta reported that 88 people died trying to reach the territory, while at least 11 deaths have been recorded in Morocco.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish enclave, have the EU’s only land borders with Africa. There are periodic surges in attempted crossings to both cities, although neither permits onward free movement to the EU as they are outside the border-free Schengen zone.

EU interior ministers will hold emergency talks on Tuesday, which von der Leyen said would be a chance to draw lessons from the crossings.

Ireland, which holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, is convening the meeting.

Von der Leyen said the EU should double down on five areas: 

• Strengthening co-operation with non-EU countries to prevent migration; 
• Stronger external borders; 
• Implementing early warning systems; 
• Dismantling smuggling networks; 
• Boosting returns of people with no right to stay.

Italian media reported that Giorgia Meloni’s government wanted to accelerate the opening of offshore migration centres, which Europe’s top human rights expert recently said risked becoming “human rights black holes”.

The EU opened the door to offshore detention centres in June in an unprecedented departure from legal norms as part of a law aiming to increase the deportations of people with no legal right to stay.

Amid heavy criticism of the EU’s divided response to the Ceuta border crossings, von der Leyen stressed that Spain could access EU funds as well as support from the Frontex border agency. So far Madrid has not requested the assistance of Frontex.

The crossings — seized on by far-right politicians across Europe — have exposed deep divisions over migration that have left Spain’s leader isolated.

Over the weekend, Sanchez criticised other governments for failing to support Spain, after Italy and Denmark led calls for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen zone. 

Sanchez said such an attitude was “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest” and contrary to European and humanitarian law “and the principles of solidarity that bind us together”.

Member states' letter blames Sanchez decision

Migrants return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Saturday. Picture: Antonio Sempere/AP

Italy and Denmark organised a letter signed by 20 other EU member states that appeared to blame the crisis on Sanchez’s decision to regularise the status of 500,000 migrants without documents.

“We have a duty to effectively deter and relentlessly combat illegal migration,” the 22 leaders wrote, arguing for the need to address “all policies that can serve as pull factors, such as the regularisation of [a] very large number of irregular migrants”.

EU member states favouring a tough approach to migration are expected to raise the issue of “pull factors” on Tuesday. 

“There is some concern that the regularisation of 1.2m people can be used to paint a picture that the door is open,” an EU diplomat said, referring to the approximate number of people who applied for regularisation under the 2026 Spanish government programme.

Academic research has found no evidence of a pull effect from regularisation programmes on arrivals of irregular migrants.

Officials said that before the Ceuta crossings, the European Commission was looking to upgrade the EU’s diplomatic relationship with Morocco to a “strategic and comprehensive partnership”. 

The EU already has similar wide-ranging agreements with Egypt and Tunisia, which include pledges to stem migration, but which have been heavily criticised by rights groups.

Von der Leyen wrote: “On anything related to Ceuta and Melilla, we could enhance border management early-warning systems and improve our technical and financial support to Morocco.” 

Guardian