Ankara: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the majority of individuals who entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta illegally have been returned to Morocco, following coordinated efforts by Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement agencies. She emphasized that none of the migrants reached mainland Spain or other parts of the EU.

According to Anadolu Agency, von der Leyen shared this update on the US social media platform X. She recently held a conference call with European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and European Commissioner for the Mediterranean and Demography Dubravka Suica to assess the situation in Ceuta.

Von der Leyen highlighted the necessity of robust border controls across Europe, noting the significance of the current system while advocating for its further enhancement. She stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance at critical entry points and ensuring close coordination among all relevant authorities.

The European Commission president also emphasized the need for a process to learn from the situation to bolster European resilience. She mentioned that the European Commission had been supportive of Spain from the outset and acknowledged receiving letters from several leaders, welcoming the call for an extraordinary videoconference to evaluate the events.

Von der Leyen reiterated that addressing illegal migration requires solidarity and a unified European approach. Earlier, multiple European leaders sought an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers to formulate a coordinated response to prevent further irregular crossings.

According to Spain's Interior Ministry, at least 67 people lost their lives attempting to reach Spain during the crisis, while approximately 70,000 migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco have since returned.