EU officials call for stronger borders following Ceuta violence
Nearly 70,000 people entered the Spanish African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, causing 83 deaths in the chaos.
EU officials are advocating for stronger border controls following a surge in migration from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. The influx of nearly 70,000 people resulted in 83 deaths and has strained relations between EU members. Italy withdrew from the Schengen open-border agreement, while the Czech prime minister called for Spain to be temporarily suspended from the passport-free zone.
Ceuta, situated across the Strait of Gibraltar from the Spanish mainland, is not part of the Schengen area, but the European Commission president emphasized the need for a "common European response" to the crisis. The situation highlights the strategic importance of Ceuta for Morocco, given its historical ties and the enclave's role as a "powerful bargaining chip" in negotiations.
Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
