The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez in a letter on Monday that the EU must “reinforce borders at critical points” following the mass arrival of migrants at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. In the correspondence, dated 3 August and seen by Reuters, she praised the “rapid management” of returns by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, which she said had “successfully prevented illegal onward movement to mainland Spain and Europe”. She also proposed that the EU strengthen early-warning systems for border management and increase its technical and financial support to Morocco.

Viewed from Madrid, the government has rejected accusations of an intelligence failure. Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz stated that “no report warned of the magnitude of the figures we had to respond to”, after Spanish media reported that the national intelligence centre had issued several alerts. Spanish intelligence services, however, believe Morocco facilitated the crossing, according to the newspaper El País. The services assess that, while Rabat did not plan the operation, it reduced border vigilance to a minimum during a national holiday, allowing crowds to pass. The US State Department described the episode as a “flagrant violation of Spanish sovereignty”.

Within the EU, the crisis has exposed sharp divisions. Italy and Denmark called for Spain’s suspension from the Schengen free-movement area, a demand Spanish officials labelled “selfish”. Von der Leyen’s letter also contained an indirect rebuke of Morocco, stating that “no attempt to use irregular migration as a means of pressuring a member state can be accepted”. The surge, which saw an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people enter Ceuta by land and sea, left at least 72 dead, with some Spanish outlets reporting a toll of 88.

The episode represents the first major test of the EU’s new Migration Pact, which sets rules for solidarity among member states. An emergency videoconference of interior ministers, convened by the Irish EU presidency, is scheduled for Tuesday. The meeting aims to “draw lessons” from Ceuta and work towards a common European response, including possible reintroduction of internal border controls. Von der Leyen noted that the EU is already negotiating a “more structured and forward-looking partnership” with Morocco to prevent a repeat of such incidents.