AdvertisementAdvertisementMigrants arrive at a holding centre after crossing the fences separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco, in Melilla, Spain, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Officials in a Spanish enclave in North Africa say at least 500 migrants crossed the fences separating Melilla from Morocco. The Spanish government representative in Melilla says she was surprised over 2,000 people attempted the crossing on Wednesday, one of the highest numbers on record. Videos online showed jubilant men celebrating, some of them covered in blood, as their made their way to a migrant center. (AP Photo/Javier Bernardo)02 Aug 2026 05:51AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST BRUSSELS: A majority of EU countries called on Saturday (Aug 1) for emergency talks on the sudden inflow of tens of thousands of migrants into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.An open letter from the leaders of 22 of the EU's 27 members demanded the bloc's interior ministers have a video meeting "as a matter of urgency" to agree a speedy coordinated response, and to "prevent further uncontrolled crossings"."We have a duty to effectively deter and relentlessly combat illegal migration," it said.Europe migrant crisis: Many EU countries calling for talks over migrant influx into Ceuta enclaveIreland, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the meeting would take place on Tuesday.Show MoreShow LessEU foreign policy chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the move, saying the bloc needed "a lessons learned process to improve our European resilience," while adding that "not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU" during the influx.The EU letter was initiated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country has temporarily suspended Schengen-area rules with Spain, and by her Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, who said on Friday that the EU should consider suspending Schengen cooperation with Spain.Migrants swim around a border barrier with Morocco to enter Spain's north Africa's Ceuta enclave on Jul 31, 2026. (PHoto: AFP/Jorge Guerrero)Meloni on X wrote that "the line that Italy has long supported is today shared by an ever-growing number of European Nations. Defending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe."Among the other signatories are German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the prime ministers of Hungary, Sweden and Poland, but not the French and Portuguese leaders, whose countries directly border Spain."We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible," the letter said. "Such a perception would encourage further attempts, undermine confidence in our common migration policy and have repercussions for all Member States."It suggested that "ministers should in particular consider enhanced Frontex support and the effectiveness of EU cooperation with Morocco.""We take note that no unauthorized onward movements have been recorded towards Europe," it added. Spain's interior ministry said Saturday that nearly all of the 60,000 migrants who breached the border since Wednesday had left and the situation in Ceuta was nearly back to normal. Source: AFP/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST