EU calls emergency meeting following mass migrant crossings into Ceuta

The European Union has convened an emergency meeting after 22 member states issued a joint letter demanding coordinated action to strengthen the bloc’s external borders following the arrival of 60,000 migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.

The influx has triggered severe political friction within the EU, leading Italy, Finland, and Denmark to suspend or question passport-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the unilateral measures as unlawful and selfish, maintaining that border control was fully restored within 48 hours and preventing onward movement into continental Europe.

EU officials confirmed the death toll from the crossing attempt has risen to at least 67 while the vast majority of individuals who entered the enclave have since returned to Morocco.

The joint letter addressed to EU leadership stresses that uncoordinated responses risk creating a perception that illegal entry into the bloc is possible, which would encourage further crossing attempts across member states.

In response to the crisis, Spanish authorities have installed floating security barriers off the Ceuta coastline while working alongside international partners to secure the border perimeter.