Following the surge of migrants into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, the situation appears to have stabilized. According to Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, over 48,000 people have since voluntarily returned to Morocco. Albares affirmed that the integrity of the Schengen Area remains “absolutely guaranteed,” stressing that travel from Ceuta and Melilla to continental Europe requires proper identification checks. He criticized the “interest-driven confusion” surrounding the Ceuta crisis.
Prior to this stabilization, a new migration debate flared up across Europe. In response to the crisis, Italy had temporarily suspended the Schengen agreement with Spain, while Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced an extension of controversial border controls.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed smugglers for the situation, describing the incident as a “violation of Spain’s territorial integrity.” Local media reported that in recent days, up to 60,000 migrants from Morocco had infiltrated the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. At the height of this influx, it is estimated that at least 57 people lost their lives.
