[International] Thousands of Migrants Still Stranded in Spain's Ceuta; EU to Hold Emergency Meeting on August 4

Thousands of people remain stranded in Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave, after a massive influx of migrants last week. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called today for "united action" on border security, and EU interior ministers will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the crisis. Reuters reported that Spain estimates about 69,500 migrants have returned to Morocco in the past four days, exceeding initial calculations on May 30 when an estimated 50,000 arrived in Ceuta. According to official statistics, 72 people died on the Spanish side of the border and 11 on the Moroccan side. Ceuta's mayor, Juan Jesus Vivas, told Spanish TV channel Telecinco that 3,000 to 5,000 migrants are still stranded, and the two local migrant reception centers are "completely overwhelmed." Local official Alberto Gaitan stated that the city council is processing cases for 862 unaccompanied minors, who have special legal protections and cannot be deported arbitrarily. AFP reported that Ursula von der Leyen praised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for his "swift handling" of the crisis. However, the unprecedented chaos in Ceuta has caused strong tensions among the EU's 27 member states, with Italy and Denmark, which implement tough immigration policies, even suggesting temporarily excluding Spain from the Schengen Area. Spain strongly retaliated, criticizing the proposal as "selfish" and calling for an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers to find a solution. Under EU regulations, the proposals by Italy and Denmark are not legally feasible. Von der Leyen pointed out that the video conference scheduled for tomorrow (the 4th) will be an opportunity to learn from the Ceuta incident, reminding that the challenge of irregular migration requires a "common European response, united action, and solidarity." Von der Leyen urged EU countries to "redouble their efforts" in five key areas: first, preventing irregular migration through cooperation with partner countries; strengthening external borders; establishing early warning systems; combating smuggling networks; and enhancing return operations. She designated tomorrow's meeting as a "first step" and expects leaders to continue discussing the issue at the next summit in October. (Editor: Chen Wen-wei)