European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for “united action” on border security after the chaotic influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta last week.
Spain estimates that about 69,500 migrants have now returned to Morocco, exceeding initial estimates of 50,000. The official death toll on the Spanish side of the border stands at 72, with 11 deaths on the Moroccan side.
On Tuesday, EU interior ministers will have emergency talks by video conference to discuss the issue.
The scenes in Ceuta have strained relations among some of the EU’s 27 member states.
In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen praised his “swift handling” of the crisis.
But she added: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points.”
In response to the Ceuta crossings, Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen arrangement with Spain.
The Schengen agreement eliminates border checks and now encompasses more than 450 million people and 29 countries in Europe.
Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.
In response, Sánchez said he had “serious concerns” about some European governments and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area.
While most had shown “support and solidarity”, he said other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest”.
