European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly criticised Spains response to the Ceuta migrant crisis on Tuesday, following an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers that exposed deep divisions over how to handle the emergency.
The death toll from the crisis has now reached 75, according to Anadolu Agency, as tens of thousands of migrants attempted to cross from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. Spanish officials said approximately 70,000 migrants had left Ceuta in recent days after a dramatic surge in crossings.
Von der Leyen urged Spain to reinforce its EU borders and called for stronger cooperation with Morocco on migration control. The Spanish government pushed back, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urging allies not to blame Morocco for the crisis, which he said was being exploited by far-right politicians across Europe.
The emergency meeting saw EU ministers close ranks behind Spain on the surface, but behind the scenes tensions ran deep. AP News reported that Sanchez faced blistering criticism from several member states during the closed-door session. The meeting was called after the crisis overwhelmed Spanish authorities and exposed the blocs persistent inability to agree on a unified migration policy.
The crisis has drawn comparisons to Europes 2015 migration emergency, though analysts note that the EUs institutional response has evolved significantly since then. Euronews reported that the Ceuta situation has pushed migration to the top of the EU policy agenda just as the bloc was grappling with other pressing issues.
Morocco has urged the European Union not to hinder its development, in a signal that Casablanca may link migration cooperation to broader diplomatic and economic demands. Le Monde reported that Morocco is seeking to leverage the crisis to extract concessions from European partners.
The surge in crossings came amid a broader deterioration in EU-Morocco relations, with Spain struggling to balance its obligations as an EU member with its need for Moroccan cooperation on border management. Amnesty International called on European leaders to respond with humanity and solidarity to the situation.
Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, Politico Europe
discussion