On 4 August 2026, Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, delivered a speech in Brussels, Belgium, in which he addressed the situation in Ceuta, Spain. During his speech, Magnus Brunner noted that the interior ministers had just concluded a meeting on the events in Ceuta in which they had expressed full solidarity with Spain. He underlined that the Spanish government had the situation under control and that the Schengen area had not been affected. Magnus Brunner referred to the reformed Common European Asylum System and the renewed Return Regulation. He highlighted that irregular migration numbers had fallen by -55% in the last two years, and by further - 37% so far in 2026 and that Europe has not had this much control over irregular migration in a decade. He described the situation in Ceuta as a test on European resilience and of the security of its external borders. He noted that people had not managed to enter the Schengen Area,while expressing regret over the lives lost due to criminal smuggling networks and disinformation on social media. He also expressed gratitude for the cooperation between Spain, Morocco and the European Commission.This video shows the press conference with Magnus Brunner.