Migration: Emmanuel Macron announces enhanced controls and praises Morocco-Spain cooperation

Friday 31 July 2026 - 18:33

France has reaffirmed its support for Spain in managing the migration crisis affecting the enclave of Ceuta, while praising the cooperation established with Morocco. In a message posted on social media platform X, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had exchanged views with the Spanish Prime Minister to express Paris's solidarity and offer operational support, particularly through the European agency Frontex.

This stance comes as migrant arrivals to Ceuta mobilize several European states and reignite discussions on the protection of the European Union's external borders.

Paris praises cooperation between Morocco and Spain

The French president highlighted the coordination efforts between Madrid and Rabat, noting that this collaboration has already facilitated the return of over 40,000 people from Ceuta to Morocco during the day.

He also indicated that the interior ministers of both countries continue their exchanges to ensure ongoing monitoring of the situation and coordinate responses.

Enhanced controls at the Franco-Spanish border

Although Ceuta is not part of the Schengen free movement area with the rest of Spanish territory, Emmanuel Macron announced that he has requested the French Interior Minister to strengthen, if necessary, controls at the border between France and Spain.

The planned measures include the deployment of four mobile force units, as well as aircraft and drones intended to enhance surveillance of cross-border movements.

According to the French president, these measures are part of the continuity of actions taken since 2020 between France and Spain, notably through joint brigades and enhanced cooperation in combating irregular immigration.

A response within the European framework

Emmanuel Macron emphasized that these initiatives complement the mechanisms adopted at the European Union level to improve the return procedures for irregular migrants and implement the European Pact on asylum and migration.

The French head of state reminded that irregular migration flows to the European Union had decreased by 25% the previous year and that this trend continues in 2026 along the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean migration routes.

In conclusion, the French president reaffirmed France's solidarity with Spain, its government, and its people, while calling for a continued European policy based on the protection of external borders and the enforcement of common migration rules.