EU chief says Ceuta migrants returned to Morocco, calls for stronger border controls

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that the vast majority of people who entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta illegally had returned to Morocco following joint efforts by Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement authorities.

“The good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco, due to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU,” von der Leyen said on the US social media company X.

Von der Leyen said she held a conference call with European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and European Commissioner for the Mediterranean and for Demography Dubravka Suica to receive an update on the situation in Ceuta.

She said the situation showed the importance of controlling Europe’s borders.

“This shows why the control of our European borders matters. We have a strong system in place. But it needs to be further strengthened,” she said.

The European Commission president said EU authorities must remain vigilant at key entry points and maintain close coordination between all relevant authorities.

“At the same time, we need a lessons learned process to improve our European resilience,” she added.

Von der Leyen said the European Commission had offered support to Spain from the first moment.

“I received letters from several leaders and I welcome the call for an extraordinary videoconference to take stock of what has happened,” she said.

“Fighting illegal migration requires solidarity and a united European response,” von der Leyen added.

Earlier, several European leaders called for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers over the migration situation in Ceuta, urging a coordinated response to prevent further irregular crossings.

According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, at least 67 people died trying to reach Spain during the crisis, while nearly 70,000 migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco have already returned.