Following a surge of migrants onto the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, CDU domestic policy politicians are demanding decisive action regarding European migration policy.
Günter Krings, head of the CDU regional group from North Rhine-Westphalia in the Bundestag and an expert in domestic and legal affairs, criticized the recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which prohibits the direct return of migrants from the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. However, Krings also noted that the Sanchez government’s move to grant citizenship to hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants had raised hopes.
According to Krings, the key to protecting the EU’s external border in Africa lies not in more border fortifications but in fostering a strong relationship with Morocco, from which tens of thousands of people travel to Ceuta. He stated that Spain must urgently improve its relations with its southern neighbor. Furthermore, he argued that these incidents should compel the EU to “more aggressively move forward with the return centers in third countries outside of Europe, which have essentially already been decided upon.” Krings also advocated for pursuing asylum procedures outside the EU, including engaging in discussions with Morocco for this purpose.
Alexander Throm, the CDU’s spokesperson for domestic policy, told the Spiegel that the events in Ceuta provided a clear “proof” of “pull factors.” He added that the Spanish court ruling had led to a rush of young men and youths and resulted in loss of life.
Should these individuals successfully reach the European mainland, it will also serve as a test for the new Common European Border System (GEAS). The accelerated border procedure must be applied consistently to those from Morocco, which is considered a safe country of origin under the new EU asylum reform, as well as those from Algeria.
Spanish security circles reported that approximately 60,000 migrants reached Ceuta via irregular routes in recent days, most of them on the previous Thursday. This represents the largest number of migrants to reach the Spanish enclave since at least 2021.
The EU Border Guard Agency, Frontex, informed the Spiegel that Spain has not requested any additional support so far. A spokesman said Frontex is on site, supporting national authorities with maritime border checks. However, the breaches at the Ceuta border are “outside the activity scope” of the Agency. Frontex continues to monitor the situation closely.
