European Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner warned that the EU remains vulnerable to crises like the Ceuta surge as long as external border protection depends on the goodwill of neighbouring countries, after Czech opposition figures demanded Spain's suspension from Schengen over the mass crossing.
Brunner said internal border checks must remain a measure of last resort and that Schengen's integrity was "fully preserved" during the crisis, which began on July 30 when roughly 72,000 people attempted to cross from Fnideq into Ceuta. The death toll has reached at least 141, according to NGO Caminando Fronteras, with 75 bodies recovered on the Spanish side and 11 in Morocco. Spain has returned about 70,000 people to Morocco, and no migrant who entered illegally last week has reached mainland Spain.
The Commission urged the European Parliament to adopt a stalled directive toughening penalties on human traffickers and noted disinformation campaigns, particularly on Russian channels, amplified the Ceuta events. Italy remains the only country to have introduced air and maritime border checks with Spain.