European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during the press conference on the impact of the situation in the Middle East on the EU in Brussels, Belgium on April 13, 2026. [Dursun Aydemir – Anadolu Agency]
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that the vast majority of people who entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta illegally had returned to Morocco following joint efforts by Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement authorities, Anadolu reports.
“The good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco, due to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU,” von der Leyen said on the US social media company X.
Von der Leyen said she held a conference call with European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and European Commissioner for the Mediterranean and for Demography Dubravka Suica to receive an update on the situation in Ceuta.
She said the situation showed the importance of controlling Europe’s borders.
