For the European People’s Party (EPP) president and group leader Manfred Weber (CSU), the EU “must quickly establish return hubs in Africa.” The politician writes this in an opinion piece published today by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, referring to the migration crisis affecting the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, which the Bavarian politician calls “the result of unilateral national actions.”

“Just as when Alexis Tsipras was Greek prime minister,” Weber says, “we are now seeing how the political signals from Pedro Sánchez’s Spanish government have a direct impact on migration routes.” He also stresses that “thanks to the EU‐Tunisia agreement, illegal migration along that route has decreased by more than 90% since 2023.”

After noting that the migration package and the new returns regulation “are now law,” he calls for swift implementation of the pact: “At the next ordinary meeting of the European Council, we need a binding implementation plan with clear responsibilities, precise deadlines and verifiable objectives.”

At the same time, Weber says “Ceuta has shown that close cooperation with neighboring states can work. Morocco immediately took back the migrants. No one entered the Schengen area.” He urges the Commission to offer countries that cooperate on return centers “strong trade relations, economic cooperation and a legal migration system.” He also declares that “migrants without the right to stay must leave Europe, no ifs, no buts.”

Weber adds that internal border controls within Europe “may be necessary in exceptional situations,” but “they do not address the root cause of the problem.” He argues that “every border guard deployed at an internal border is absent where Europe’s security must be defended: at the common external borders.” Therefore, “there can be only one response: a strong and common protection of Europe’s external borders.”

For this reason, Weber calls for a significant reinforcement of Frontex, with “50,000 officers” to ensure “the security of the EU’s external borders.” He goes further: “if national authorities are unwilling to protect our borders, Frontex must be given command.” According to Weber, “Ceuta was a stress test for Europe. Now Europe must show that it understands the fight against illegal immigration as a shared responsibility.”