Nikolic stated in an interview with France Info radio that the Spanish government is creating a threat to the entire European territory. He linked this threat to the arrival of about 60 thousand migrants from Morocco who are entering the process of legalizing the status of hundreds of thousands of people in Spain.
The number of migrants cited by Nikolic does not match the data from Spanish security forces. The latter estimate that more than 53 thousand people voluntarily returned to Morocco from Ceuta by the end of Friday, meaning approximately seven thousand remain in the Spanish enclave.
When asked about this discrepancy in data, and after he mentioned 12 thousand people, the deputy clarified that the figure could be 'between 10 thousand and 15 thousand,' attributing this information to unnamed 'Spanish agents.'
The deputy also noted that these mass movements could have been caused by 'pressure from the Moroccan government.' Admitting that it was 'too early to say for sure,' he believed that 'some took advantage of the situation' due to the 'pull factor' created by the legalization process and the decision of the Spanish Supreme Court.
Aleksandar Nikolic referred to the Supreme Court's ruling which prohibits the immediate deportation of individuals who attempted to enter the Spanish enclaves in North Africa—Ceuta and Melilla—by sea, because they did not illegally cross border lines.
According to the court, such migrants must undergo a different, longer process, which in many cases allows them to avoid deportation.
Regarding the deaths of those who tried to reach Ceuta last week, he stated that 'the responsibility for these deaths lies with those who created false hope for legalization.'
The National Union (RN) deputy emphasized that the migrants remaining in Ceuta will eventually cross the border into mainland Spain, giving them the opportunity to travel freely throughout the rest of the European Union.
He expressed concern that they might want to go to France because 'the French social system is the most generous.'
In this regard, his party, which has the largest representation in the French National Assembly, insists that 'Spain should be excluded from the Schengen area,' which regulates free movement among 29 member states, as already demanded by the governments of Italy, Denmark, and Finland.
He stressed that free movement within the Schengen area 'should be reserved for European citizens.'
Since last Friday, Marine Le Pen, a candidate for the 2027 French presidential election and current poll favorite, has insisted that 'before a large coordinated flow of migrants into Spain, stimulated by the Spanish government, France must immediately strengthen its border control.'
Assuming victory in the elections, Le Pen announced that next year she would put an end to 'this madness by reserving Schengen free movement for European Union citizens.'
