04/08/2026 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Joint statement by Sandra Zampa (Italy, SOC), Chairperson of the Migration Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Christiana Erotokritou (Cyprus, SOC), PACE Rapporteur on “Frontline states: the role of the Council of Europe in implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum”:
“Between 20 and 31 July, the Spanish territory of Ceuta experienced an unprecedented surge in irregular arrivals of migrants, with around fifty thousand people crossing into Spanish territory by land and sea from Morocco. Local reception capacities were overwhelmed, and by Friday 31 July, most of those who had crossed had returned to Morocco.
Tragically, official reports confirm that at least 72 people lost their lives during these perilous crossings. We express our profound sorrow for the victims and solidarity with their families, whose suffering cannot be ignored. We equally stand with the people of Ceuta, who have faced an extraordinary humanitarian crisis, stretching local resources to the limit.
We recall the need for Council of Europe member states and the European Union to support local authorities financially, technically and administratively in dealing with emergency situations caused by the arrival of large numbers of people, as recently stated by the Assembly. In such situations, we need to uphold the European values of solidarity and unity, in word and deed.
As EU interior ministers meet today for emergency talks following the events in Ceuta, we also urge all EU member states to fully adhere to the provisions of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, particularly its Solidarity Mechanism and its Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation, which provide robust legal instruments to address crises such as this firmly but humanely.
In these circumstances, states must fully respect the principle of non-refoulement, even in instances where migration is being instrumentalised. As the Parliamentary Assembly has warned, national security concerns must not be used to justify collective expulsions or exceptions to human rights obligations.
A firm but humane response is essential: fighting against criminal networks of smugglers, upholding non-refoulement, supporting border regions, and placing solidarity, human rights and the rule of law at the heart of Europe’s migration management.”