EU chief urges member unity, praises Spain's handling of Ceuta migration unrest

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday congratulated Spain and Morocco for their handling of the recent migration unrest in Ceuta.

In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, obtained by Spanish daily El Pais, von der Leyen said the large-scale irregular crossings into the Spanish enclave had highlighted the need to reinforce the European Union's external borders.

"Following this incident, it is clear that we need to further strengthen our borders at critical points," she wrote.

Von der Leyen praised the Spanish and Moroccan governments for managing the situation "efficiently and effectively" and for "successfully preventing the illegal transfer to mainland Spain and Europe."

The European Commission president also reaffirmed the EU's support for Spain, emphasizing that "European solidarity is at the heart of the European project."

"Spain and its people can count on the continued support of the Commission and the strength of our Union to overcome this challenge," she said.

Von der Leyen's letter came in response to a letter by Sanchez, who responded to a joint letter by 22 European heads of state and government that called for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers on Saturday over the recent migration crisis.

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.

Over the last several days, tens of thousands of Moroccans have gathered near the border fence in an attempt to reach Ceuta and continue onward to Europe through irregular migration routes.

Around 60,000 people have crossed into Ceuta from Morocco in recent days, while 72 people have died during the migration crisis.

Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish-administered enclaves on Morocco's northern coast and constitute the European Union's only land borders with the African continent.