EU ministers back Spain over Ceuta migration crisis as sea deaths rise

European Union interior ministers backed Spain following an emergency meeting in Brussels, attributing the recent border crisis in Ceuta to human smuggling networks and external actors. The declaration marks a pivot after initial European criticism over Madrid’s border management, which had prompted Italy to temporarily suspend transport links with Spain.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to reinforce surveillance at vulnerable external borders. In Ceuta, thousands of migrants remain in an improvised beach encampment. Spanish authorities report at least 88 fatalities from drownings and stampedes, though Moroccan officials maintain the casualty count is significantly lower.

Concurrently, maritime fatalities continue along Spanish sea routes. Emergency services rescued two North African survivors near Mallorca, who reported that 17 companions drowned during a 15-day vessel crossing toward the Balearic Islands.

Sources: CDM (Cafe del Montenegro), HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix, Poslovni dnevnik.