Italian
The southern border of Europe is once again the scene of one of the most serious migration crises in recent years. At least 18 people have lost their lives attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, while according to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, nearly 49,000 migrants have crossed the border in the last 24 hours, a number that exceeds half of the population of the autonomous city, which has about 85,000 inhabitants.
ITALY. The influx, unprecedented after the 2021 crisis, has triggered an emergency response from Madrid and a tough political confrontation within the European Union, with Italy and France calling for an immediate strengthening of border controls.
The Spanish government has ordered the deployment of additional police and military units to secure the Tarajal border, the main access point between Morocco and Ceuta. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected in the autonomous city to assess the situation on the ground and meet with local authorities.
According to the Guardia Civil, thousands of people have reached the enclave by crossing the sea, often swimming along the Tarajal barrier. Spanish media also report a substantial inactivity of Moroccan security forces during the hours of the exodus.
The scale of the emergency exceeds that recorded in May 2021, when about 10,000 people entered Ceuta in a few hours during a diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat.
The opposition attacks: “The city is under occupation”
The People’s Party (PP) has accused Pedro Sánchez’s government of reacting too late and with insufficient determination.
The opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo stated that arrivals continued throughout the night and called on the government to “defend national security, territorial integrity, and coexistence.” Even harsher was the right-wing party Vox, which described the entry of thousands of migrants as a true “invasion.”
Italy: “Evaluate the suspension of Spain from Schengen”
The crisis has quickly taken on a European dimension.
The President of the Council Giorgia Meloni stated that what is happening in Ceuta demonstrates how “uncontrolled illegal immigration represents a concrete threat to the security of European borders,” declaring that Italy is ready to consider “extraordinary measures,” including the suspension of Spain from the Schengen area if Madrid fails to restore effective control of its external borders.
On the same line, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani linked the current emergency to the recent decision of the Spanish government to regularize over 500,000 irregular immigrants present in the country.
Madrid reacted firmly. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described the Italian statements as “inappropriate between friendly countries and European partners,” announcing the summoning of the Italian ambassador.
France also strengthens controls
The emergency had immediate repercussions even beyond the Pyrenees.
The French Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, announced the strengthening of controls along the border with Spain and the activation of the rapid intervention force to carry out thorough checks on cross-border movements.
In the French political debate, the leader of the Rassemblement National Marine Le Pen and former Prime Minister Michel Barnier also intervened, both in favor of tightening control measures and a stricter application of European repatriation rules.
The possible causes of the migration wave
The Spanish government attributes at least in part the exceptional influx to a recent decision by the Supreme Court, according to which migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta and Melilla cannot be automatically expelled through the special procedure established for the Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
However, the role of Morocco remains to be clarified. Various testimonies collected by Iberian media report limited checks by Moroccan authorities during the hours when thousands of people reached the sea to attempt the crossing.
A new challenge for Europe
The Ceuta crisis brings back to the forefront of the European agenda the issue of managing external borders and common migration policy. The scale of the influx, with nearly 49,000 entries in a single day, represents an unprecedented challenge for the small Spanish enclave and risks reopening deep divisions among member states regarding the management of migration flows.
In the coming hours, both the visit of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Ceuta and any decisions that the European Union will make to coordinate the response to what could become the most serious migration emergency in recent years at the gates of the continent will be crucial.
