Not a single migrant who illegally crossed the border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta managed to reach mainland Spain or other European Union countries, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

According to her, the overwhelming majority of those involved in the mass border breach have already returned to Morocco thanks to coordination between Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement agencies.

Von der Leyen noted that the crisis in Ceuta once again demonstrated the importance of controlling the EU’s external borders, but that the existing system needs to be further strengthened. She also called for an analysis of what happened in order to improve Europe’s preparedness for similar situations in the future.

Von der Leyen added that the European Commission had offered assistance to Spain from the very beginning and welcomed the initiative by the leaders of several EU countries to hold an extraordinary video conference to discuss the situation.

“Combating illegal migration requires solidarity and a united European response,” the European Commission president stressed.