By Martin Banks

MEPs have called for action on “various levels” to prevent a repeat of events in Ceuta.

This follows the recent arrival in Ceuta of more than 70,000 irregular migrants within hours, the largest irregular entry ever recorded at an EU external border.

MEPs from across the political divide have spoken out about the lessons that might be learned.

Dolors Montserrat, Vice-Chair of the EPP Group. yhe Ceuta crisis “cannot simply be declared over while those who entered illegally remain unidentified and serious failures remain unaddressed.”

The deputy adds, “The Spanish Government failed to take the necessary measures to protect Europe’s external border. Europe has the tools, from Frontex to Europol, and the Migration and Asylum Pact provides a clear framework. It is time for the Spanish Government to assume its responsibilities.”

Her colleague, Lena Düpont, EPP Group spokeswoman on Home Affairs, said, “The situation in Ceuta remains critical.

“Thousands of migrants remain in the city, reception facilities continue to operate beyond capacity, and many unaccompanied minors are currently under the care of local authorities. It is unacceptable that repeated warnings from local authorities and security services in the weeks preceding the crisis were not acted upon.”

“Ceuta is not only Spain’s border – it is Europe’s border. This is not simply a migration crisis; it is a border security crisis. If we want to preserve Schengen, we must effectively protect our external borders. Europe stood with Spain from day one, offering support through Frontex, Europol and the EU Agency for Asylum.”

Elsewhere, another mainstream grouping in the EU parliament, the ECR group, has chipped into the debate with its LIBE Coordinator Assita Kanko calling for action on “various levels” to prevent a repeat of the events at the EU’s external border.

Kanko warned that “fundamental questions remain” about how the crisis happened and what must change.

Kanko said,“The majority of those who entered Ceuta illegally have now been returned to Morocco. I trust that the remaining people will also be removed from EU territory swiftly.

 “It is clear that they are not fleeing war or persecution. If they are seeking better opportunities in Europe, they must do so through legal channels.

“After today’s debate, I am left with three major concerns.

 “The Spanish Government must stop creating pull factors. You cannot regularise hundreds of thousands of people who are in the country illegally and then pretend that this sends no message to others considering the same journey,” said the MEP.

“We need answers from Morocco. There are serious indications that Moroccan border guards allowed migrants to pass and, in some cases, encouraged them to do so. Europe needs a frank discussion with the Moroccan authorities about what happened.”

“We need to investigate the role of social media and disinformation. False information can mobilise thousands of people in a very short time and put lives at risk. We need to understand who was behind it and how it spread.

 “We need action on all three fronts. The Spanish Government must stop creating pull factors, we need a tough discussion with Morocco, and we need to establish what happened on social media.”