69,500 Migrants Returned to Morocco as Europe Turns on Spain
The migration crisis in Ceuta is escalating, with 69,500 migrants returned to Morocco. Spain is facing severe criticism from EU partners and accusations of failing to secure its borders.
The severe migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa is far from over, and its true dimensions are now being revealed, sowing panic across the continent. According to the latest reports from the British BBC network, initial estimates by authorities were completely wrong.
Madrid now estimates that about 69,500 migrants have already been returned to Moroccan territory after crossing the border, a number significantly higher than the original estimate of 50,000. Beyond the massive number of border crossers, the human cost is proving unbearable: the official death toll on the Spanish side stands at 72, while 11 additional deaths were reported on the Moroccan side, with people drowning or being trampled to death.
The chaotic scenes of tens of thousands of infiltrators flooding the shores of Ceuta led the interior ministers of the 27 European Union countries to convene an emergency meeting. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for "united action and solidarity" regarding the security of external borders and emphasized the urgent need to dismantle smuggling networks. This crisis has exposed Europe's true fault line: a complete lack of consensus on the continent's migration policy.
Sharp criticism and punitive measures against Madrid
The events in Ceuta caused a diplomatic earthquake within the European Union. According to a report in the Spanish newspaper 'El País', no fewer than 22 countries, led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, launched a coordinated attack against Pedro Sánchez's government. Only France, Portugal, Ireland, and Luxembourg refused to sign the letter of condemnation.
Critics argue that Spain's lenient migration policy encouraged the current wave of infiltration. Sánchez attempted to deflect criticism, accusing smuggling networks of exploiting a Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limited the government's right to immediate deportation.
Italy rushed to temporarily suspend the Schengen agreement with Spain, a dramatic move that effectively cancels open borders between the countries. Finland and Denmark supported the Italian move, and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš even called for the complete suspension of Spain's membership in the Schengen Agreement.
Anger in Spain: "Selfish and polarized response"
In Madrid, there is a resounding sense of anger toward European partners. Prime Minister Sánchez publicly defined the response of the EU countries as "selfish, polarized, and illegal." Senior Spanish officials express frustration with Europe's double standard: in 2021, when Poland and Lithuania faced an orchestrated migration crisis on their borders with Belarus, it was defined as a "hybrid attack," whereas the Ceuta crisis is blamed solely on Spain.
Spain's Foreign and Interior Ministers are set to present data from the 'Frontex' border agency, proving that Spain is managing migration better than most of its partners. Defense Minister Margarita Robles hinted at quiet cooperation from Morocco, which allowed the mass infiltration to exert political pressure on Madrid.
The current crisis reveals much more than a local border problem; it reflects the growing political isolation of the left-wing government in Madrid in the face of the conservative wave currently sweeping the continent.
