By Tom Ozimek
Contributing Writer
European Union interior ministers voiced support for Spain on Tuesday following the deadly illegal immigrant surge in Ceuta, while calling for stronger borders, faster returns, and expanded efforts to dismantle migrant-smuggling networks.
During an informal video conference, Spanish officials, the European Commission, and the European External Action Service briefed ministers on the situation in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa that forms part of the EU’s only land border with the continent.
The meeting followed an unprecedented influx that began on Thursday, when an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people entered Ceuta from Morocco by land and sea. Many swam around a border breakwater after social media posts claimed that Spain had opened its border.
More than 80 people died on both sides of the border, according to figures released by Spanish and Moroccan authorities. Some drowned while attempting to swim to Ceuta, while others were crushed or trampled during chaotic efforts to climb a breakwater and border fence.
EU member states and countries associated with the Schengen passport-free travel area praised Spain’s response and expressed condolences for those who died while attempting the crossing.
“The EU is united and stands ready to support Spain and protect our external borders from illegal migration,” Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s minister for justice, home affairs, and migration, said in a statement.
“We commend Spain for their swift response to the situation in Ceuta and extend our deepest condolences for the tragic loss of life.”
The ministers agreed that the bloc should continue fighting migrant-smuggling networks, increase returns of illegal immigrants, strengthen its external borders, and deepen partnerships with countries of origin and transit.
Most Migrants Returned
Spanish authorities and the European Commission said during Tuesday’s conference call that the “very large majority” of people who entered Ceuta illegally had been returned to Morocco.
They also said there had been no onward movement to mainland Spain or other EU member states.
Spanish officials previously said that more than 48,000 migrants returned within the first 48 hours, either because they were expelled or left voluntarily, many due to shortages of food, water, and shelter.
While no new binding measures were announced during Tuesday’s conference, the ministers called for better early-warning systems, including greater use of intelligence on migration movements before they reach EU borders and closer monitoring of social media.
Online Rumors Helped Fuel Surge
Spain and Morocco have blamed misinformation and human-smuggling networks for helping fuel the surge.
Several young migrants who spoke in Ceuta said that the videos circulating on social media convinced them to come.
Posts on Instagram suggested that Spain’s border had been opened, while TikTok videos showed prospective migrants where to swim. Facebook users shared information about Spanish coast guard patrols, inflatable boats and wetsuits.
“I saw online that the border was open, and I decided to go,” said 17-year-old Omar Danbor from the neighboring Moroccan city of Fnideq while walking back home along the coast.
Some others said they believed recent changes in Spanish law allowed them to remain in the country.
Spain’s Supreme Court recently ruled that migrants intercepted while swimming toward Ceuta or Melilla could not be returned without being given access to ordinary immigration procedures. Spanish officials said smugglers and social media accounts distorted the ruling to suggest that swimmers could not be deported.
Some migrants also misunderstood a Spanish government program granting legal status to certain illegal immigrants. The program applies only to people who can prove they were living in Spain before Jan. 1 and had remained in the country for at least five consecutive months.
The EU ministers said during the Tuesday conference that public communications during migration crises should be better coordinated and more consistent, particularly to counter foreign actors engaged in disinformation.
“The EU’s external borders are our shared responsibility, and migration requires a united European response,” O’Callaghan said, adding that the meeting provided an opportunity for member states to assess tools already at their disposal and identify where further cooperation is needed.
Separately, leaders from 22 EU countries signed a letter urging stronger protection of the bloc’s external borders, while Italy temporarily reintroduced border controls with Spain.
The events in Ceuta also drew attention overseas, with U.S. President Donald Trump describing the illegal immigrant surge as an “invasion of a country.”
“I watched the catastrophe that took place,” Trump said at a Friday Cabinet meeting in Washington, adding that the incident reflected “weak law” and “bad management.”
The U.S. Department of State on Saturday raised its travel advisory for Ceuta to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel, citing a “massive and uncontrolled arrival of migrants” along with the resulting security risks.
Etienne Fauchaire and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
