EU chief calls Ceuta scenes 'unacceptable,' urges swift deportations

DPAFri, July 31, 2026 at 12:18 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for swift deportations under EU law, after nearly 50,000 migrants entered Spain's tiny North African territory of Ceuta from Morocco over the past several days.

"The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable," von der Leyen wrote on Friday on X.

"We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules. Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled," she said.

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Von der Leyen urged swift deportations "as our rules allow."

European Union commissioners were in contact with Spanish and Moroccan authorities, she said.

The fast-moving situation triggered a crisis on Thursday, with Spain deploying the military to help secure the border with Morocco.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was in Ceuta on Friday.