Fabian Picardo: Ceuta is not a route into Gibraltar, Schengen or the EU

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has sought to reassure the public that the recent mass crossing into Ceuta poses no threat to Gibraltar, stressing that the Spanish enclave is outside the Schengen Area and cannot be used as a gateway into mainland Spain or the wider European Union.

Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Picardo said much of the debate surrounding the incident had been based on a misunderstanding of how the border operates.

He pointed out that migrants who reach Ceuta remain subject to passport and identity checks before they can travel onwards.

"When people make their way into Ceuta, they are as far away from Gibraltar and the European Union as they were when they were in Tangier," he said.

He added that Gibraltar would not alter its own arrangements with the European Union in response to the events.

"There is no danger. Gibraltar is not going to suspend our new arrangements with the European Union."

The Chief Minister also urged people not to lose sight of the humanitarian impact of the crisis.

He said the deaths of 61 people should be at the forefront of the international response, accusing some politicians of focusing instead on migration and border politics.

"I think there are two remarkable things about what has happened," he said. "The first is that 61 people have died, and that's not headline news around the world."

Mr Picardo expressed solidarity with the people of Ceuta and Spain's security forces, saying they had faced an unprecedented situation.

He praised the Spanish Government's handling of the crisis, saying it had moved quickly to coordinate with Morocco and organise the return of those who had crossed.

Although an estimated 50,000 people entered Ceuta in a matter of hours, he noted that the overwhelming majority had already returned to Morocco.

"We've also seen the biggest return in history," he said, adding that the scale and speed of the returns suggested "some element of orchestration", although he stressed it was too early to draw conclusions without further evidence.

He called for an international investigation into both the deaths and what lay behind the sudden movement of people, saying authorities needed to determine who had issued what he described as the "dog whistle" that prompted thousands to make the crossing.

The Chief Minister also challenged reports that Italy had suspended the Schengen system for arrivals from Spain.

He said this was incorrect, explaining that Italy had instead announced enhanced checks on third-country nationals arriving from Spanish destinations.

Asked what message he had for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Mr Picardo said she had a duty to protect Italy's interests, but urged more accurate reporting of the measures being introduced.

International reactions

The Chief Minister's comments come as political debate over the events in Ceuta continues across Europe.

UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel has written to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking an urgent explanation of the Government's response.

In her letter, she asks what discussions have taken place with European partners, what assessment has been made of any potential implications for Gibraltar, and whether ministers have considered the possibility of migrants attempting to reach the UK. She also questions whether Spain's planned migrant regularisation programme could encourage further illegal migration.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed Spain's handling of the crisis.

Following talks with senior commissioners, she said the vast majority of those who entered Ceuta had already returned to Morocco through the effective cooperation of the Spanish and Moroccan authorities.

She added that not a single person had reached mainland Spain or the rest of the European Union, describing the episode as evidence that Europe's external border system had functioned effectively, while acknowledging that it should continue to be strengthened.

Mrs von der Leyen also welcomed calls for an extraordinary videoconference of EU leaders and said tackling illegal migration required solidarity and a united European response.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also written to European leaders expressing concern at criticism from some governments, which he says have called for Spain's temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area.

He argues such calls are based on misinformation because Ceuta is not part of Schengen and says Spain restored control of the border within 48 hours, working closely with Morocco to return almost all those who crossed.

Mr Sánchez has urged the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to convene an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers, arguing that protecting the bloc's external borders is a shared responsibility requiring a coordinated European response.