EU commends Spain as 70,000 migrants return to Morocco

11
Aug 2026

European Union interior ministers praised Spain’s response to the mass migrant influx into Ceuta, ending a week of public recriminations with a show of unity.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told the emergency videoconference that about 72,000 migrants entered the North African exclave on July 30 and 31, with an estimated 70,000 since returning to Morocco.

Irish Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister Jim O’Callaghan chaired the meeting because Ireland holds the EU’s rotating presidency. He told reporters the bloc stood with Spain and that migration required “a united European response.”

Ministers had been expected to clash after several EU capitals criticized Madrid’s handling of the crisis and Italy suspended parts of its Schengen agreement with Spain.

Numbers remain disputed

Official estimates vary widely.

Spanish officials reported that 69,500 migrants had returned to Morocco, leaving about 2,500 in Ceuta. Other estimates placed total arrivals at 50,000 to 60,000.

Death tolls also differ. One count recorded at least 75 deaths on the Spanish side and 11 in Morocco, while another put the total at 67.

Ceuta authorities reported that many victims drowned as crowds crossed by land and sea, overwhelming border guards.

Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas estimated that 3,000 to 5,000 migrants remained in the city, while the Spanish government delegate provided a slightly lower figure.

Rome digs in, Madrid pushes back

Italy suspended its Schengen free-movement agreement with Spain. Because the countries share no land border, the measure mainly affects flights.

Rome temporarily restored some controls on air and sea arrivals for 30 days. Checks began August 1 and apply only to non-EU nationals traveling from Spain, according to Italian Interior Ministry sources cited by public broadcaster RAI.

France also increased checks along its border with Spain.

Finland and Denmark supported Italy’s move. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain’s temporary suspension from Schengen, although EU rules provide no mechanism for such a step.

Madrid firmly rejected the proposal.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote to EU leaders on Saturday, accusing member states of “selfish” attitudes and requesting emergency talks on a common response.

He condemned what he called a “selfish, polarizing and unlawful reaction” driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance or political interest.”

Hours later, 22 countries led by Italy, Denmark, Germany and Hungary issued a counter-letter demanding urgent talks to maintain pressure for tougher immigration policies.

France distanced itself from the initiative, describing it as an attempt to exploit the Ceuta crisis politically.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Corriere della Sera: “I understand Spain’s frustration with its failed migration policy, but we have a duty to protect Italy’s borders.”

He added that the incident “is not a minor incident; it poses a risk to the entire union.”

Sánchez responded that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area and expressed serious concerns about several European governments.

(Image courtesy of Jesús Esteban San José via Pexels)

Brussels presents a five-point agenda

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote to Sánchez calling for united action on border security.

“From this incident it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points,” she wrote.

“The protection of all our external borders is a shared European responsibility,” she added, supporting closer monitoring and physical barriers where necessary. She also praised Sánchez’s “swift handling” of the crisis.

Von der Leyen proposed action in five areas: preventing irregular migration through cooperation with partner countries, strengthening external borders, introducing early-warning systems, dismantling smuggling networks and increasing returns.

She described Morocco as “an important strategic partner, particularly in our efforts to combat migrant smuggling and illegal migration,” and raised the possibility of additional technical and financial support for Rabat.

She called the talks a first step and indicated that EU leaders would revisit the issue at their October summit.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner described the influx as a test of European resilience and border security that the bloc had passed. He confirmed that the EU had offered Spain emergency financial assistance.

Danish Immigration Minister Morten Bødskov was “very satisfied” with Spain’s response, adding that the incident showed “it is absolutely crucial that we have control over the EU’s borders.”

A hoax, a court ruling and political tensions

The influx’s immediate cause remains unclear.

Brunner blamed criminal networks and social media disinformation. The crossings followed a Spanish Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the summary return to Morocco of migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla.

Spanish intelligence sources told El País that the influx likely began with an online hoax following the ruling. As the rumor spread, Moroccan border surveillance reportedly declined before stopping entirely late in the week.

Moroccan authorities maintained that they had warned Spain the ruling would cause problems. A Spanish government spokeswoman rejected that claim, stating that Madrid had received no evidence or intelligence “that alerted us to the magnitude of this unprecedented event.”

Gerald Knaus, director of the European Stability Initiative, told DW that the events were not based on “anything structural,” because neither Morocco’s social conditions nor Spain’s migration policies had changed significantly.

“In this crisis, there were very, very few asylum seekers. Most of them were young Moroccan men,” Knaus noted. “So, no, this is not a sudden increase in structural pressure from a big displacement crisis.”

Matteo Villa, a migration researcher at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, pointed to political tensions.

“50,000 people do not come overnight when usually it’s hundreds per month,” Villa observed. “Sánchez going to Algeria is something Morocco didn’t really like.”

Sánchez visited Algiers on July 20, becoming the first Spanish head of government to do so in four years.

(Image courtesy of Daniel Prado via Unsplash)

Aid, minors and opposition criticism

Spain deployed military personnel and additional police after the breach, which Sánchez called a violation of the country’s territorial integrity.

Authorities began installing a floating barrier near the Tarajal breakwater on Saturday to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. Another 500-meter barrier was installed near the border post.

Images from Ceuta on Tuesday showed crowds seeking food and water near the beach. Some carried makeshift signs reading “asylum.”

The Red Cross distributed aid on Monday as migrants slept on beaches and streets across the city.

Local reports indicated that about 800 unaccompanied minors were being housed in facilities across Ceuta.

Grande-Marlaska maintained that authorities respected the rights of all migrants, particularly minors. Spain allocated about 25 million euros, or $28.8 million, to support children in the city.

Vox leader Santiago Abascal called Sánchez a traitor on social media. “He behaves like an enemy of the Spanish people,” Abascal wrote. “The national emergency can only be resolved by kicking him out.”

The U.S. State Department also criticized Spain’s immigration policies, calling the incident a direct consequence of deliberate efforts to facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.

Solidarity now, decisions in October

After the meeting, Grande-Marlaska maintained that the Schengen zone had not been compromised and expressed hope that Italy would remove its additional controls “as soon as possible.”

The controls remain scheduled to last 30 days.

Knaus doubted that Tuesday’s talks would produce major changes. The most likely outcome, he predicted, “is that there will be some grandstanding … different governments will accuse each other. Spain will respond and will say it is not to blame and there will be bad feelings and no solution.”

Von der Leyen has deferred substantive decisions until October. Leading proposals include greater support for Morocco, early-warning systems and return hubs outside the EU.

Italy is expected to renew its proposal for return hubs in African countries, modeled on its agreement with Albania. Rwanda and Uganda are reportedly among about a dozen potential hosts.

Key facts remain unresolved, including the number of arrivals and returns, the death toll and whether Moroccan authorities deliberately reduced border surveillance.