Ceuta Crisis: France Asserts Spain Must Not Leave Schengen

Moscow (ANTARA) - French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has firmly rejected proposals to suspend or remove Spain from the Schengen Agreement, following the ongoing migration crisis in Ceuta. “Spain must not leave the Schengen Area. It is completely impossible,” Nunez stated during a press conference on Saturday.

Nunez added that bilateral relations and cooperation between France and Spain remain very strong. This decisive statement follows calls from several European Union member states—including Italy, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Denmark—on Friday (31/7) to suspend Spain’s membership in the Schengen Agreement, triggered by a large wave of immigrants from Morocco entering Ceuta.

Ceuta is a Spanish enclave located on the northern coast of Africa, bordering Morocco directly. Along with Melilla, Ceuta serves as the only land border between the European Union and the African continent, which is frequently utilised as a primary route for illegal migration into Europe. In recent days, Ceuta has experienced unprecedented migratory pressure. According to Spanish authorities, tens of thousands of migrants are estimated to have crossed the border illegally and entered the territory.