Spain’s Ceuta Migrant Crisis Prompts Denmark to Threaten Rapid Border Controls

COPENHAGEN, Aug 12: Denmark is prepared to significantly tighten border controls within hours if migrant flows begin moving through Europe, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday, as concerns grow over a major irregular migration attempt toward Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate, Frederiksen described the situation in Ceuta as “disturbing” and stressed that strict immigration policies remain essential for Denmark and Europe.

“We continue to monitor the situation extremely closely,” she said, adding that her government would not “hesitate for a second” to take necessary measures if migrant flows spread across Europe.

Frederiksen said border controls could be strengthened with only a few hours’ notice and backed the possibility of closing Europe’s external borders in exceptional circumstances. Asked whether she supported allowing EU countries to refuse to process asylum applications during periods of severe migration pressure, she said Denmark supported the idea of being able to close the border.

The Danish parliamentary debate came amid concerns that migrants who reached Ceuta could continue toward other European countries. Opposition parties called for permanent border controls, while the Danish People’s Party advocated withdrawing from the Schengen Area, which allows passport-free travel across much of Europe.

Between July 29 and July 31, tens of thousands of Moroccans gathered near Ceuta’s border fence in what authorities described as the enclave’s largest mass irregular migration attempt. Most later returned to Morocco.

Ceuta authorities said Monday that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained inside the enclave, while more than 69,000 people had returned to Morocco following the mass crossing.