Ceuta earthquake hits 'Schengen'.. Spain condemns 'selfishness'

Ceuta – Agencies: Spain has returned to Morocco almost all migrants who had recently flooded into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, according to Spanish authorities who have faced criticism from other EU countries where migration remains a highly sensitive issue, while noting that the situation has “returned to near-normal.” At least 67 migrants died during their attempts to reach Ceuta, which borders northern Morocco, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced yesterday. During a press briefing in Ceuta following an emergency meeting on this unprecedented crisis, Grande-Marlaska referred to “tragic and unfortunate incidents” that claimed the lives of at least 67 people, adding that “within less than 48 hours, the situation has changed completely and is now near-normal.” The Spanish government confirmed on Friday that almost all migrants who had arrived in recent days had been returned to Morocco, amounting to approximately 48,000 people according to official figures. Yesterday morning, young men continued to cross the border in the opposite direction under the watch of Spanish police and the Civil Guard amidst thick fog. The migrants, mostly young Moroccan men and boys, were estimated by Ceuta’s regional president Juan Jesús Vivas at around 60,000 (50,000 according to the Spanish Interior Ministry) to have entered Spain by land or sea. Ceuta, located on Morocco’s northern coast near the Strait of Gibraltar with a population of 84,000, along with the Spanish enclave of Melilla, constitutes the only two land border crossings between Africa and Europe. To prevent migrants from swimming across the border between Morocco and Ceuta, a 500-meter-long floating barrier has been erected in the Mediterranean Sea, as revealed by the Spanish Interior Minister yesterday morning. Amidst circulating images of the migrant influx into Ceuta, the European far-right has raised its voice, calling for stricter security measures on the borders of the Schengen Area. Since Thursday, Italy has called for Spain’s suspension from the Schengen organization, with support from Finland and Denmark. However, Spain viewed this proposal as “demagogic.” The Italian Interior Ministry announced that since Saturday, checks have been imposed at air and sea borders with Spain on non-European citizens arriving from Spain. For his part, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated yesterday that Spain leaving the Schengen zone is “absolutely not an option,” adding that France enjoys “very good cooperation” with Spain. When asked during a press conference about the duration of enhanced French-Spanish border controls, he replied that it would continue “as long as necessary.” France has increased the number of police and gendarmes deployed along the border with Spain fivefold, reaching 334, according to Nunez. The Spanish Prime Minister visited Ceuta with the Interior Minister, who condemned the “attack and violation of Spain’s territorial integrity,” blaming “mafias” for spreading rumors about the opening of the border between Morocco and Spain. In a post on X, Sanchez, whose government follows an open approach to migration unlike several other European countries, wrote, “This is not the time for division, but for continuing to build a strong and united European Union.” The Spanish government had previously announced a wide-ranging plan to regularize the status of irregular migrants, receiving 1.2 million applications. Yesterday, Sanchez officially condemned the “selfish” stance of some EU countries, calling for an emergency video conference of the 27 member states’ interior ministers. In Washington, US President Donald Trump, who has made combating irregular migration a central priority, described the images from Ceuta as resembling an “invasion of the country,” accusing Spain of making “deliberate efforts” to facilitate irregular migration.