DistantNews
Support us
Spain says most migrants have returned to Morocco; Germany extends border checks amid crisis
🇴🇲 Oman /Conflict & Security

Spain says most migrants have returned to Morocco; Germany extends border checks amid crisis

From Times of Oman · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Spain reported that approximately 48,300 migrants had returned to Morocco from Ceuta by Friday evening, suggesting most of the 60,000 who crossed the border had left.
  • Moroccan police used tear gas to disperse crowds near the border, while Germany announced an extension of its internal border controls, citing the Ceuta situation.
  • Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called for the EU to consider suspending Spain from the Schengen area due to uncontrolled immigration, as Spanish authorities revised the death toll from the crisis to 57.

Spain's government announced Friday that most of the estimated 60,000 migrants who had crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta had returned to Morocco. By 6 p.m. local time, around 48,300 individuals had made their way back, with hundreds seen voluntarily crossing borders or through gaps in the fence. Some migrants cited a lack of food and shelter in Ceuta as reasons for their return.

We will extend the possibility of internal checks beyond September.

— Alexander DobrindtGermany's Interior Minister explaining the decision to extend border controls.

Moroccan police, in riot gear, reportedly used tear gas to disperse some groups still gathered near the border fences. Meanwhile, Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that Berlin intends to extend its border controls within the Schengen zone. Germany had reintroduced checks in September 2024 to manage unauthorized entries and has extended them multiple times, most recently until mid-September 2026. Dobrindt cited the volatile nature of the migration crisis, highlighted by the events in Ceuta, as justification for the extension.

The situation in Ceuta highlights the volatile nature of the illegal migration crisis.

— Alexander DobrindtGermany's Interior Minister justifying the extension of border controls.

The situation also drew strong reactions from other European leaders. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested the EU should consider suspending Spain from the Schengen agreement, emphasizing her government's refusal to accept a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis and calling uncontrolled immigration a threat to Europe and Denmark. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, without naming critics, responded to European leaders and right-wing politicians by highlighting the importance of solidarity and adherence to EU treaties, referencing Frontex data on irregular migration.

the EU must immediately take all necessary measures and consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen cooperation.

— Mette FrederiksenDanish Prime Minister's statement on social media regarding the situation in Ceuta.

In a grim update, Spanish authorities revised the death toll from the crisis to 57 bodies recovered on the Spanish side of the border. Previous reports had indicated at least 34 dead. The casualties included individuals who drowned or were crushed in a stampede near a border checkpoint, with further deaths possible on the Moroccan side.

Uncontrolled immigration is a threat to Europe. And to Denmark.

— Mette FrederiksenDanish Prime Minister expressing her concerns on social media.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Times of Oman in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog