US Accuses Spain of Facilitating Mass Migration into Ceuta

The U.S. State Department charged that the Spanish government deliberately eased illegal migration to Europe after roughly 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. President Donald Trump and senior officials cited the incident to criticize immigration policies and to rally domestic political support.

Spanish authorities and an EU representative said no significant flow of migrants moved from Ceuta onto the European continent and noted that Schengen checks remain in place. Several EU member states, including Italy and Denmark, called for the suspension of Spain’s participation in the Schengen area over the handling of the crisis. About 50,000 of the arrivals have already been returned to Morocco.