Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, has declared that all migrants who illegally entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta will be deported, vowing to send "every last person" back to Morocco. This firm stance comes after an estimated 70,000 migrants swam from Morocco to storm the enclave, which is Spanish and EU territory, in recent weeks.
Albares emphasized during a visit to Ceuta that entering EU territory does not grant individuals the right to remain. "Storming the border into EU territory does not grant anyone the right to remain," he stated, adding that any attempt to cross is "doomed to fail."
The influx of migrants into Ceuta resulted in approximately 70 deaths due to drowning or crush injuries at the border fence. The situation prompted calls from some European leaders for Spain's temporary suspension from the Schengen free-travel zone, a move that reportedly drew a strong reaction from Madrid.
"Everything else is fake news, self-serving rumors," Albares said, dismissing claims that migrants could reach mainland Europe or remain in Ceuta. He highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts with Morocco for the return of irregularly entered individuals.
Reports indicate that around 60,000 of the 70,000 migrants who crossed into Ceuta have already been returned to Morocco. However, the enclave's president, Juan Jesús Vivas, described the remaining up to 10,000 people as an "unsustainable" situation after meeting with Albares.
The minister's strong stance has been contrasted with the approach of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has reportedly not directly addressed migrants crossing the English Channel and has dismissed proposals for the Royal Navy to intercept and return small boats. Despite over 3,000 migrant arrivals in his first 22 days in office, Burnham's administration has not adopted a policy similar to Spain's.
This development occurs as European Union nations are increasingly adopting a tougher line on illegal crossings, aiming to prevent a recurrence of past migration crises, such as the one in 2015. Earlier in the month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis proposed emergency measures to allow EU countries to suspend asylum claims during large migrant waves. These proposals echo earlier measures considered by the UK government, including the Illegal Migration Act 2023, which sought to suspend asylum rights for those arriving by small boat but were later abandoned by the Labour government.
