Government to chair EU meeting on Ceuta crisis as death toll reaches 86

The Irish Government is convene a meeting of EU leaders next week to discuss the crossing of 60,000 migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.

It is understood social media contributed to the numbers attempting the crossing.

Officials in Spain say most have been returned, with many of the people leaving voluntarily. However, at least 86 died making the crossing.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland, as host of the Presidency of the EU Council, will convene a meeting of justice and home affairs ministers from across the bloc.

Dr Myriam Cherti from the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society at Oxford University is concerned those wanting to cross borders will take dangerous routes.

Dr Cherti told Newstalk: “The initial crisis over, but I think the issues still remain around building maritime borders to stop the migrants. But I think unfortunately these things only create new routes where you have more smugglers involved in more dangerous routes for these potential migrants.”

Twenty-two EU member states issued a joint letter calling for coordinated action and the strengthening of the EU’s external borders following the crossings at Ceuta.

The letter addressed to EU President Antonio Costa, president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, due to Ireland holding the EU Presidency.

Spain condemned “selfish, polarising and unlawful” reaction to the crisis after Italy suspended the EU’s border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain. 

This will set things up for a tense meeting chaired by the Government.

Spain has taken a pro-migrant stance and recently launched a regularisation scheme which provided a citizenship pathway for one million people.

The stance from prime minister Pedro Sanchez is in stark contrats to the anti-migrant views of Italy’s far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni.