Meloni and Sánchez Clashed Over Migrants — Euractiv
At the European Union summit, a heated dispute broke out between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over how to address the issue of illegal migration.
The Italian leader expressed strong dissatisfaction with Madrid’s decision to legalize the status of hundreds of thousands of foreigners, which sparked serious debate among European leaders.
The conflict highlighted deep divisions within the bloc regarding control of external borders and the Schengen Area.
The heated discussion was sparked by a speech from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who praised the work of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
The Danish leader praised the adoption of new legislation allowing for the creation of deportation centers outside Europe.
Frederiksen called on EU leaders to pay more attention to migration and to monitor more closely the policies being implemented by other capitals. This call for tighter controls drew strong opposition from members of the Spanish delegation.
Pedro Sánchez sharply criticized his colleagues’ hardline stance, calling the proposals for deportation camps unacceptable.
This prompted Giorgia Meloni to intervene in the dispute, support her Danish colleague, and voice her objections directly to the Spanish prime minister.
The Italian prime minister launched a scathing critique of Spain’s liberal program, under which approximately 500,000 migrants are set to receive legal status.
According to Meloni, such a policy poses additional threats to the national security of all neighboring countries.
“Spain’s actions affect its neighbors,” Giorgia Meloni stated unequivocally during the meeting.
This is reported in a Euractiv article.
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