One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for Australia to enhance its border security, drawing parallels to a recent influx of migrants into Spain. Hanson expressed alarm at footage depicting a large number of people crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
An estimated 50,000 individuals made the journey to Ceuta on Thursday, prompting a response from Spanish authorities who later stated that over 48,000 had voluntarily returned to their home countries by Friday. Hanson suggested that Australia should not assume such events are impossible on its shores, referencing Australia's maritime border concerns and noting that approximately 12 unauthorized boats had arrived in Australia this year.
Hanson criticized the current Australian government, which she characterized as weak on border protection, and advocated for more stringent measures to deter unauthorized arrivals. "Be prepared for this, Australia, until we wake up to ourselves and get a strong government and strong leadership that will say this is not going to happen," she stated. "We need to make sure we control our borders so this doesn't happen here."
She specifically voiced concern about the migrants, describing them as predominantly Muslim men from Morocco entering Spanish territory. Hanson suggested that these individuals could subsequently travel to other European nations. She referred to the migrants as "illegals," asserting they entered without permission or passports, and questioned the capacity of Spain to manage such a large influx in terms of sustenance and employment.
The situation in Spain led to Italy temporarily suspending the Schengen Agreement and reinstating border controls with Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez attributed the surge to people-smuggling and trafficking networks. Reports indicated that at least 57 bodies were recovered during the mass crossing. Spanish officials also cited a Supreme Court ruling that potentially delayed the immediate return of migrants arriving by sea without due process, a factor that may have encouraged further crossings.