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France has announced plans to strengthen controls along its border with Spain after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, prompting a new migration challenge for Spanish authorities.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he had ordered an immediate increase in border checks following the large movement of migrants into the Spanish territory.
In a post on X, Nunez said he had “given instructions to immediately step up controls at the Spanish border” on Thursday night. He added that France would activate its rapid intervention border force to carry out more detailed inspections.
Speaking to French broadcaster RTL, Nunez said he had contacted his Spanish counterpart and planned further discussions on the situation.
“We have controls at the French-Spanish border, they already exist, and in fact they have been reinforced in recent months,” Nunez said.
He added that France already had a mobile force deployed along the border and would take further action if migrant movements shifted towards French territory.
“In any case, we will obviously strengthen border controls,” he said.
The announcement comes after thousands of migrants crossed overnight from Morocco into Ceuta, according to a Spanish police source. The source said the territory had received around 40,000 migrants in recent days, a significant number compared with Ceuta’s population of about 80,000.
The sudden arrival of migrants has placed additional pressure on Spain’s government, which is managing accommodation, security and humanitarian responses in the enclave.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two territories on Africa’s northern coast, have long been entry points for migrants seeking access to Europe. The latest arrivals have renewed discussions between European countries over border management, migration policies and cooperation with neighbouring states.
