France reinforces controls with Spain, and Borrell reminds Italy that “no state” can close the Schengen Area to another

Eduardo González The French government announced on Friday that it will reinforce border controls with Spain following the mass arrival of migrants from Morocco to Ceuta. Meanwhile, the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and former Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, warned Italy that “no member state can unilaterally suspend another's participation in Schengen.” French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Friday via social media that “given the situation observed in the enclave of Ceuta, I have given instructions since last night to reinforce controls on the Spanish border without delay. Furthermore, I have activated the Rapid Intervention Border Force to carry out thorough checks.” Previously, Nuñez told RTL radio that he is in contact with his Spanish counterpart, Fernando García-Marlaska, to address the crisis. Regarding Italy's position in favor of closing the Schengen Area to Spain, the French minister pointed out that border controls already exist and have even been reinforced in recent months with the creation of a permanent mobile force. Regarding Italy's reaction (which was met by the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, with the summoning of the Italian ambassador in Madrid), Josep Borrell reiterated this Friday that, "according to EU law, no member state can unilaterally suspend another's participation in Schengen." "That option simply does not exist in the Union's legal framework, and yet, within hours, the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, declared on X that he was 'in favor of closing the Schengen Area to Spain,'" he warned. This attitude, he added, reveals "how EU governments are learning to understand, speak about, use, and abuse EU law in clear violation of the principle of sincere cooperation that binds them." For his part, the Dutch Foreign Minister, Tom Berendsen, has asked the Spanish government to "do what is necessary to protect the EU's external borders and to ensure that Morocco also takes appropriate measures," the Dutch Foreign Minister stated. Currently, according to the latest data from the Ministry of the Interior, 49,000 migrants have entered Ceuta by sea and land from Morocco in the last 24 hours, 7,000 of whom are minors. In addition, at least 19 people have died while attempting to swim across the Ceuta border crossing. The People's Party (PP) MEP Esteban González Pons cited these figures to harshly criticize Albares: "He recalls the Italian ambassador for consultations, but not the Moroccan ambassador. Nothing more needs to be said," he posted on social media. Frontex The European Commission has conveyed to Spain the European Union's willingness to reinforce its support, including collaboration through Frontex, to address the situation created by the mass arrival of migrants on the shores of Ceuta in recent hours. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated Thursday evening that protecting the European Union's external borders "is a crucial part of our efforts to combat illegal migration." In this context, he noted that the European Commission is in contact with "the relevant authorities" to monitor the evolving situation in Ceuta. Brunner also reported on his conversation with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to whom he conveyed "the EU's willingness to increase support to Spain, including collaboration through Frontex, to control the situation." The commissioner also indicated that he is in contact with Moroccan authorities “to ensure that all necessary efforts are made to prevent these dangerous journeys.” When a European Union member state requests assistance in managing its external borders, the agency deploys its Standing Corps, comprised of specialized officers and supported by resources such as vessels, aircraft, and border surveillance equipment. These personnel work alongside national authorities to conduct border control operations and other security-related tasks, as well as participate in search and rescue operations when necessary. According to Frontex, each operation is designed based on a risk analysis and tailored to the specific circumstances identified by the agency in each case.

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