Twenty-two countries signed a joint letter calling for co-ordinated action and stepped-up protection of the bloc’s external borders, following reports that about 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco. Spain said it faced “selfish, polarising and unlawful” reactions after Italy suspended the EU’s border-free Schengen rules for Spain, a move supported by Finland and Denmark.
Joint Letter Calls for Stronger EU Border Action
Spanish officials said almost all people who reached Ceuta on 30 July had returned, while deaths linked to the surge had risen to at least 67.
The letter warned that “hybrid threats” could be used to create the impression that illegal entry into the European Union is possible. It said such a perception would encourage further attempts, weaken trust in the bloc’s common migration policy and have consequences for all member states.
The signatories include leaders of the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium. The letter was addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Antonio Costa and Ireland’s Taoiseach Michael Martin, with Ireland currently holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Spain Says Border Control Restored
In a separate letter to Von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had “serious concerns” about some European governments. He said Spain had restored border control and prevented any “unauthorised onward movement towards continental Europe” in under 48 hours.
Sánchez said most partners had shown support and solidarity. However, he accused other governments of attacking Spain, saying the criticism was driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest”. He also noted that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area.
57 Dead After 60,000 Reach Spain's Ceuta Enclave
On Friday, Sánchez said migrant traffickers were benefiting from a ruling by Spain’s supreme court that limited the government’s ability to deport people arriving by sea immediately. Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister, said on Saturday that the situation had largely returned to normal and that work was under way on an inflatable barrier to prevent further illegal entry by water. He said nearly all the migrants had left Ceuta and that businesses there had reopened.
Schengen Dispute and Calls for Options
Some member states’ responses have focused on Schengen, which removes routine border checks and covers more than 450 million people across 29 countries. In addition to Italy’s one-month suspension of Schengen co-operation with Spain, Finland, France and Portugal said they were assessing whether to introduce border checks. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged the EU to “consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation”.
Von der Leyen said images from Ceuta were “unacceptable” and wrote that people cannot enter the EU without following its rules. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Morocco should “take back illegal migrants immediately”. The UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, said he had spoken to Sánchez and that the UK was providing help.
Ceuta, together with Melilla, is the EU’s only land border with Africa. Migrants can reach the enclave by swimming several kilometres. Although the scale of this year’s surge is unusual, Ceuta has long been a focus for migrants trying to reach Europe, with summer attempts often coordinated via social media. In 2021, around 8,000 people entered Ceuta in days, heightening Spain’s diplomatic tensions with Morocco.
Morocco saw several anti-government protests led by Gen Z last year, with demonstrators calling for better opportunities and improvements to public services. Spain, which has tended to take a relatively welcoming approach to migration, approved in April plans to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants so they can be integrated into the workforce.
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2 August 2026
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