EU to tighten migration policy further after the Ceuta crisis

Under pressure from member states, the European Commission is determined to double down on efforts to fight irregular arrivals. Three key options are on the table and could be announced in the upcoming State of the Union address.

The European Commission is expected to further tighten its migration policy after the Ceuta crisis, with major changes to be adopted in the coming months and potentially announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union speech this week.

The events of July 30 represented the largest influx of irregular migrants in recent years, with around 80,000 people entering the Spanish enclave in a single day, adding pressure to an already clear political initiative to tighten migration rules in legislation across the EU.

Despite a steady decline in both irregular crossings and asylum requests in the EU since 2023, three new options are now on the table to strengthen the bloc’s external borders and increase the return of irregular migrants, according to several EU officials, diplomats and MEPs who spoke to Euronews.

“The images we have seen this summer are very worrying for Europeans,” said an EU official. “Something significant on migration must surely be announced.”

The options are not mutually exclusive, and von der Leyen may ultimately decide to pursue more than one.

Temporary suspension of the right to asylum

The most concerning proposal currently under discussion concerns a temporary suspension of asylum rules in cases of sudden and large-scale arrivals.

This would mean EU countries would no longer be obliged to process asylum requests from people who have entered irregularly in circumstances like those observed in Ceuta.

“This idea is still circulating and would be a significant change,” another EU official told Euronews.

Under current rules, any foreign national present in an EU country has the right to apply for asylum, regardless of how they entered Europe, and their request is assessed on an individual basis.

The change is being pushed by several member states that have adopted similar measures in recent years.

Greece suspended the processing of asylum requests for three months for migrants arriving by sea from Libya in July 2025, while Poland has had a similar ban in force for migrants crossing the border from Belarus since March 2025.

This would mark a further step in tightening asylum rights, after new rules that came into force last June accelerated the asylum process through a “border procedure” for people coming from countries considered safe.

More powers for Frontex

The European Commission’s desire to increase both the powers and the size of the Frontex border agency is not new, but it has been given fresh impetus by what happened in Ceuta, according to an EU official.

Von der Leyen promised to triple the EU border agency’s staff in her re-election speech to the European Parliament in July 2024, taking its personnel to 30,000 officers. Frontex will also receive 12 billion euros under the EU’s upcoming seven-year budget, doubling its previous allocation.

A broad reform of its mandate is expected by the end of the year, although details remain unclear.

“The changes could include involvement in the return of migrants, broader cooperation with third countries and a more active role in surveillance,” a Frontex official told Euronews, adding that a concrete proposal is likely to be presented in October.

At this stage, not even the agency’s board is fully aware of the Commission’s plans, and director Hans Leijtens has not been briefed by von der Leyen’s office on the content of the speech.

“The key question is whether Frontex will be able to take over from national authorities in crisis situations like the one in Ceuta,” a senior MEP with knowledge of the matter told Euronews, expressing doubts this could happen.

Instead, the agency could be given a role in deporting irregular migrants to third countries in addition to their country of origin, as foreseen in the new Return Regulation, which is expected to be formally adopted in the autumn.

EU money for return centers

Deportation centers enabled by the regulation are another area in which the Commission could take a bold step.

The legislation gives member states broad autonomy in determining arrangements with third countries that will host the so-called “return centers”. Five EU member states are already in advanced talks with several partner countries, whose names have not been disclosed, with the aim of starting deportations by 2026.

Current rules do not foresee any financial involvement from the EU in these arrangements. National governments are expected to fully finance the centers and may also offer additional funds, trade partnerships or other incentives to partner countries.

The major new development could be a promise to finance the centers through the EU budget, with the Commission’s proposal allocating 74 billion euros for migration management for the years 2028–2034.

“Most member states have expressed interest in this type of project. A common way of financing them in the future cannot be ruled out,” an EU official told Euronews, referring to a joint June letter in which 19 EU countries praised “innovative solutions” aimed at reducing irregular migration flows.

Beyond the support of most member states, all three proposals have the backing of the European People’s Party (EPP), which could facilitate their approval in the European Parliament.

As has happened with all migration-related files under the current legislation, the EPP could secure support for the changes with a majority relying on conservative right-wing and far-right MEPs.

Meanwhile, NGOs, civil society organizations and left-wing political groups are expected to challenge whatever is announced in the State of the Union address, as they have already sharply criticized the Commission’s recent migration policy guidelines.

“Continuing in the same direction is a terrible mistake,” Greens MEP Mélissa Camara told Euronews.