European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for stronger border controls and physical barriers at critical points along EU borders following the Ceuta crisis, according to a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez seen by Euronews on Monday.
The commission president sought to ease tensions with Spain after Sánchez accused several fellow EU leaders of using the migration crisis in Ceuta to take aim at his government.
Last Friday, around 60,000 non-EU nationals entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, marking the largest border crossing ever recorded in Europe over such a short period. After several days, most of the migrants returned to Morocco, and the situation in the enclave has since returned to relative calm.
At least 72 people died in the attempt of crossing, local authorities in Ceuta said on Sunday.
Despite Ceuta being located on the African continent and none of the migrants reaching mainland Europe, the images sparked strong reactions from European governments and the European Commission.
