49,000 Illegal Migrants Enter Spain, According to Spanish Ministry of Interior

In a single day, around 49,000 migrants have surged into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, located on the African coast and bordering Morocco. This was reported by Reuters on July 31, referencing the Spanish Ministry of Interior.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared on social media that the footage coming from Ceuta is shocking and once again proves that uncontrolled illegal immigration is a real threat to the security of Europe's borders. According to her, Rome is ready to take measures to protect border and citizen security, including suspending the Schengen Agreement with Spain.

“We will not back down an inch on the issue of illegal immigration. Protecting borders, preventing the activities of human traffickers, and returning migrants to their countries will continue to be government priorities,” emphasized Meloni.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also supported the initiative to close the Schengen area with Spain, labeling illegal and uncontrolled immigration as a national security threat. He criticized the Spanish government's decision to legalize over 500,000 migrants living illegally in the country, calling it “deeply wrong.”

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described Tajani's statement as unworthy of a colleague and ally, emphasizing that Madrid expects European solidarity, not partisan demagoguery. He announced that the Italian ambassador had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the opposition People's Party in Spain, called the situation in Ceuta a national security crisis. Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, personally blamed Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for the mass influx of migrants.

Sánchez stated that the government has mobilized all necessary resources to respond to the situation immediately. He also traveled to Ceuta, while the Ministry of Interior announced the deployment of military personnel to ensure security in the city.

Ceuta's leader Juan Jesús Vivas declared that a humanitarian and social emergency has been created in the city. According to data from the Spanish Civil Guard, at least 18 people have died attempting to swim to Spanish territory. According to AFP, this mass influx of migrants is the largest towards Ceuta since 2021, when more than 10,000 illegal migrants attempted to enter the city.

The routes through Ceuta and Melilla are among the main pathways for Africans reaching Western Europe. For many migrants, Morocco serves as a transit country to Europe.