EU interior ministers on Tuesday called for tougher action against migrant smuggling networks and stronger returns policies after about 72,000 migrants entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta last week, triggering alarm across the bloc.
The ministers also urged closer cooperation with countries outside the European Union to curb irregular migration and prevent a repeat of the surge, which began on Thursday at one of the bloc’s two land borders with Africa, both shared with Morocco.
About 75 migrants died attempting the crossing, with many drowning and others crushed in the chaos.
European Commissioner Magnus Brunner told a news conference after an emergency meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers that the influx had been fuelled by criminal smuggling networks and disinformation on social media.
He declined to say whether Morocco bore any responsibility, but praised Rabat’s cooperation with Spanish authorities on returns.
“There is an ongoing investigation of the matter (Morocco’s role in the massive break) in Spain. So I … can’t actually comment on that any further but there was of course some disinformation by the smugglers and the human traffickers, that’s what we know for sure,” he said.
The surge prompted ministers to discuss a range of measures, including better intelligence-sharing, closer monitoring of social media to detect migration surges earlier, and stronger protection of the EU’s external borders.
Some analysts have questioned whether Moroccan authorities turned a blind eye to the crossings, noting previous occasions when Rabat was accused of using migration as political leverage.
The last major surge occurred in May 2021, when Moroccan authorities appeared to relax border controls, a move widely interpreted as retaliation for Spain’s hosting of a Western Sahara independence leader. The territory is disputed, with Morocco claiming sovereignty over it.
Brunner also said the EU was negotiating a strategic comprehensive partnership agreement with Morocco.
The EU has increasingly relied on migration agreements with North African countries to curb irregular arrivals, but critics say the approach leaves the bloc vulnerable to pressure from transit countries that can ease, or threaten to ease, border controls in pursuit of political or economic concessions.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneReutersRead More