HELSINKI, July 31– Concerns mounted in Sweden and Finland on Friday over potential migration and security risks following a large influx of irregular migrants into Ceuta, Spain’s North African enclave.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urged Spain to act swiftly to “bring the situation under control,” stressing that the country must fulfill its obligations under the Schengen cooperation framework.
“If developments risk affecting Sweden’s security or migration situation, the government is prepared to take the necessary measures to maintain order and control,” Kristersson told Swedish News Agency TT.
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell on Friday called for an extraordinary meeting with his Nordic counterparts. He said Sweden was prepared to support Spain through the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, should Madrid request assistance.
Forssell also called for greater pressure on neighboring countries to strengthen border controls and prevent secondary movements of migrants within the European Union (EU).
He said Spain must take responsibility for restoring control over the EU’s external border. “The images that have emerged are worrying. It appears to be chaos,” he noted.
Finland’s acting Prime Minister, Finance Minister Riikka Purra, said measures were needed at the EU level to help Spain bring the situation under control in accordance with EU migration rules.
In a post on social media platform X, Purra questioned whether lessons had been learned from the 2015 refugee crisis. She stressed that Finland must safeguard its security, adding that internal border controls could be swiftly reinstated if necessary.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also said on X that the situation in Ceuta must be brought under control. “The return of those who have entered without authorization must take place urgently,” she urged.
Spanish authorities estimate that around 50,000 migrants entered Ceuta from neighboring Morocco over the past two days, marking one of the largest irregular migration crises ever recorded at the enclave’s border.
The death toll among those attempting to reach Ceuta by sea had risen to at least 34 by Friday. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
