22 European leaders call for urgent talks on Spain's Ceuta migration crisis

Twenty-two European heads of state and government on Saturday called for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers over the recent migration crisis in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.

"We are determined to prevent smugglers from challenging the integrity of the Union's external borders," the leaders said in a joint letter.

The joint letter, led by Italy and Denmark, was addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.

"We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible," the letter said.

The leaders warned that such a perception would encourage further attempts to enter the bloc irregularly, undermine confidence in the EU's common migration policy, and have repercussions for all member states.

‘Unity, determination, and urgency’

Welcoming cooperation between Spain and Morocco, which borders the enclave, the signatories said they expect the situation to come "under full control" with EU support, noting that many migrants who entered Ceuta have already been returned.

They called on the Irish presidency to urgently convene an extraordinary videoconference of EU interior ministers to assess the situation and agree on a coordinated response, including the rapid mobilization of available EU instruments and support for Spain.

The letter said the interior ministers should also consider enhanced support from the EU border agency Frontex and review cooperation with Morocco.

The signatories added that they were ready to take any necessary measures under EU law and the Schengen Borders Code to address potential secondary movements, including reinforcing or temporarily reintroducing internal border controls.

"The current situation calls for unity, determination and urgency," they wrote, urging EU leaders to ensure "a swift, effective and coordinated" response.