France deploys troops to Spanish border in response to Ceuta migrant crisis
REUTERS/Ahmed El Jechtimi
French troops have been deployed near the Spanish border
after 50,000 people illegally crossed from Morocco into Ceuta,
a Spanish exclave in north Africa, President Emmanuel Macron said on July 31.
“Ceuta does not benefit from freedom of movement to the rest of the Schengen Area,” Macron said in a Twitter post.
“However, as of yesterday, I asked the Interior Minister to strengthen controls at our border with Spain if necessary: 4 units of mobile forces, aircraft, and drones have been deployed.”
He said the measures continue a policy France has pursued since 2020 to bolster the Spain border, including coordination with Spanish authorities, joint patrols and operations to counter illegal migration. Macron said the actions complement European return mechanisms and the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Macron said the measures helped reduce illegal migration flows to the EU by 25% last year and that 2026 has seen a further decline in routes across the Atlantic and the western Mediterranean. He added that France has been in contact with Spain’s government and stands ready to provide assistance, including support from the European border agency Frontex.
“I welcome the ongoing cooperation with Morocco, which has already enabled more than 40,000 returns from Ceuta to Morocco today,” the French president said. He said the interior ministers of France and Spain continue to stay in touch to monitor the situation.
The surge began July 30, when tens of thousands of
migrants from Morocco crossed into Ceuta. Local authorities asked Madrid to
declare a state of emergency and send additional forces. Spain said it would
deploy troops to the exclave to restore order after the mass arrivals.
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