Nuñez Defends Schengen After Migration Crisis in Ceuta

Paris – 04.08.2026: French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the Schengen system following a video conference of EU interior ministers on the situation in Ceuta. Schengen was not the cause of the crisis, but part of its solution, Nuñez said. Europe must jointly protect its external borders, deepen cooperation among member states and work closely with Morocco.

The talks were prompted by the exceptional situation in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on the border with Morocco. According to the Spanish government, up to 72,000 people entered the territory without authorization on July 30 and 31; around 70,000 have since returned to Morocco. Other internationally reported figures were lower. No uniform, final tally from the Spanish authorities was publicly available on Tuesday.

The conference took place on August 4 at the initiative of the Irish EU Council presidency. Interior ministers discussed the immediate consequences of the border crossings and possible European responses. In several member states, the crisis has once again intensified the debate over how controls at the external borders, returns and freedom of movement within the Schengen area can be reconciled.

Nuñez opposed equating the Spanish-Moroccan border with the internal borders of the Schengen area. In the European Commission’s view, the absence of regular controls between participating states requires joint policing, information exchange between authorities and coordinated protection of external borders. France itself nevertheless maintains temporary controls at its internal borders until October 31, 2026.

For Spain, the immediate priority is the return of the people who reached Ceuta. The Associated Press reported on July 31 that tens of thousands returned to Morocco after crossing the border. According to the report, the Moroccan government initially did not comment on the figures cited by Madrid. There is also still no verified, consistent information on the causes, possible state involvement and the precise course of the mass arrival.

Even before the latest events, Ceuta had recorded more irregular entries by land. According to data from Spanish security authorities, by mid-July 2026 significantly more people had reached the exclave by this route than in the corresponding period of the previous year. In its migration policy, the European Commission relies on a combination of external border protection, cooperation with countries of origin and transit countries, action against smuggling networks and binding solidarity among member states. The differing weight given to these priorities has shaped the European migration debate for years.