The European Union is holding an emergency meeting this Saturday to study the migration crisis that has unfolded in Ceuta. Ireland initiated this urgent meeting, as it currently holds the position of rotating council president.
The agenda will include discussing EU support for Spain in managing the flow of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta, as well as diplomatic efforts that have already begun with Rabat.
Spanish authorities estimate that over 60,000 people from Morocco entered the autonomous city of Ceuta in just 24 hours. This figure exceeds the volume recorded during the last major migration crisis in the enclave in 2021 by five times.
The situation in Ceuta has triggered a diplomatic crisis in Europe, prompting Italy and France to strengthen border controls with Spain as early as this Saturday.
On Thursday, Italy announced its intention to exclude Spain from the Schengen Area, a proposal supported by Finland and Denmark. Spain called this suggestion 'democratic' and doubts its feasibility, as lawyers argue that implementing it within the current legal framework is impossible.
Pedro Sánchez stated that 'now is not the time for division' and assured that the integrity of the Schengen Area is guaranteed.
For its part, the Prime Minister of Portugal acknowledged grounds for strengthening land and sea borders with Spain but rejected the idea of suspending the operation of the Schengen area.
A specific explanation for what caused the unprecedented number of migrants crossing the sea towards the coast of Ceuta has not yet been provided. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez suggested that the cause might be a decision by the Spanish Supreme Court made this month, which prohibits the immediate deportation of migrants to Morocco who were detained at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla.
Sánchez described the events as an 'attack, a violation of Spain's territorial integrity' and accused 'mafias' of spreading rumors that the border had been opened.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced the immediate dispatch of dozens of Civil Guard and police officers, including eight divers, as well as vessels and drones.
Ceuta, a small region with a population of 84,000 located in the extreme north of Morocco and bordered by the Strait of Gibraltar, is one of two land borders between Africa and Europe (along with the other Spanish enclave, Melilla).



