EU Migration Chief Calls for Greater Leverage After Ceuta Migration Surge

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner stated on Thursday that the European Union is vulnerable to unauthorized migration when border control depends solely on the goodwill of neighboring countries. His remarks followed a major migration surge into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, where Spanish authorities reported that approximately 72,000 migrants entered last week. Ceuta mayor Juan Jesus Vivas reported that around 100 people died during the crossings and that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave.

Speaking at a European Parliament committee meeting, Brunner argued that the EU should use all available leverage, including trade and visa policy, to secure cooperation from Morocco. He also urged lawmakers to advance the EU's anti smuggling directive, which was proposed nearly three years ago. While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Spanish and Moroccan authorities attributed the surge to smuggling networks, humanitarian groups like PICUM argued that the event should be a wake up call to expand safe pathways for protection rather than a pretext for new sanctions.

Morocco rejected suggestions that it was responsible for the surge, stating that Spain should have anticipated the consequences of a court ruling regarding the deportation of migrants. Lahcen Haddad, co president of the EU Morocco Joint Parliamentary Committee, defended Morocco by noting that the country dismantled over 1,050 smuggling networks and prevented more than 227,000 irregular crossings between 2023 and 2025. Mayor Vivas disagreed, stating that Morocco is not a reliable country and that responsibility for the border should rest with Europe.