The brief mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta has again brought the immigration debate to the forefront in Europe and beyond. Despite the sea barrier separating Ceuta from mainland Europe, some EU countries have announced controls at their borders with Spain. Italy has suspended Schengen rules allowing border-free travel. US President Donald Trump has also weighed in, attempting to tie the migrant surge to the US midterm elections in November. But why did the influx happen now, and what does it mean for Spain's relatively migrant-friendly policy as it faces hostility from large parts of Europe? To answer these questions, we turn to experts. Guests: Anna Terron Cusi, Spain's former secretary of state for immigration and emigration, now a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute; Daniel Gros, Director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University and an adviser to the EU parliament; Deborah Fleischaker, former acting chief of staff at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, now a senior adviser for immigration policy and strategy at UnidosUS. This discussion was published on 2 Aug 2026. Reported by infohub.kz.