The Spanish Prime Minister Criticized EU Countries for Their Response to the Migration Crisis in Ceuta
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which he expressed deep concern over the reaction of certain European governments following the mass influx of undocumented migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
According to Sánchez, in less than 48 hours, Spain was able to regain control of the border, provide humanitarian aid, return virtually all irregular migrants to Morocco, and prevent their further movement to other European Union countries.
The head of government emphasized that all measures were carried out in close coordination with Morocco, while support from other EU member states, he said, was “very weak.”
In the letter, the prime minister emphasized that Spain’s migration policy in recent years has made it possible to significantly reduce the number of illegal border crossings, and that the country itself has become one of the European Union’s most secure external borders, despite having the EU’s only land border with Africa.
He also recalled that Spain had supported other EU member states during previous migration crises, particularly following the events at the Belarusian border in 2021 and during the influx of migrants to the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023.
Pedro Sánchez sharply criticized proposals by certain governments to temporarily exclude Spain from the Schengen Area.
According to him, such statements are based on “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interests” and contradict European legislation, humanitarian law, and the EU’s principles of solidarity.
At the same time, the prime minister emphasized that:
- Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area;
- almost all irregular migrants have already returned to Morocco;
- Spain remains one of the countries with the best-protected external EU borders, according to Frontex data.
In light of these developments, Pedro Sánchez has appealed to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union to urgently convene an extraordinary videoconference of interior ministers, to develop a common European response to the migration crisis and reaffirm that the protection of external borders is the responsibility of all EU member states.
As a reminder, 22 European Union countries have already called for an immediate and coordinated response to the events in Ceuta, which has been facing a massive influx of irregular migrants from Morocco.
According to local authorities, approximately 60,000 people entered the enclave illegally, while Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reports that more than 50,000 migrants breached the border barriers, triggering one of the largest migration crises in Europe in recent years.
El País reports on the letter.
France and Italy have introduced additional border control measures following the massive influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. European countries fear that the situation could escalate into the largest migration crisis in the EU in recent years.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior reported that 37,000 migrants have already voluntarily returned from Ceuta to Morocco. According to official estimates, about 23,000 people who arrived during the massive influx remain in the Spanish enclave.
Spain has stepped up security in the North African enclave of Ceuta following a mass border breach by migrants from Morocco. According to local authorities, thousands of people illegally crossed the border by sea and land, causing temporary shelters to become overcrowded. Military units were deployed to the region to stabilize the situation.
