European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged European Union leaders to strengthen the bloc's response to irregular migration, including expanding the powers of its border agency and increasing deportations, ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels this week.

In a letter sent to the leaders of all 27 EU member states, von der Leyen called for an emergency response framework to address situations in which migration is used as a political or geopolitical tool. She also advocated giving the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, broader powers and increasing the rate at which people without the right to remain in the EU are returned to their countries of origin.

"We must prevent such threats and make clear that we will never compromise the protection of our external borders: no state or non-state actor will be allowed to exploit our rules or our values to destabilise the Union," von der Leyen wrote.

The letter follows a migration crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta over the summer, when around 70,000 migrants reportedly arrived from neighbouring Morocco, according to the report.

Von der Leyen's proposals are expected to inform discussions on migration scheduled for Friday, the second day of this week's European Council summit.

The initiative comes amid continuing debate among EU member states over how to manage irregular migration, strengthen external border controls and enforce return decisions against people whose asylum claims have been rejected or who otherwise lack legal permission to remain in the bloc.

Expanding Frontex's powers would form part of broader efforts to improve coordination among national authorities, while an emergency response mechanism could provide the EU with additional tools to address situations in which migration flows are deliberately encouraged or used to exert pressure on member states.

The summit is expected to give EU leaders an opportunity to discuss the proposed measures and consider further steps to strengthen the bloc's migration policy. (ILKHA)