Sánchez Responded to Criticism Over the Migration Crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded to statements by European politicians calling on Madrid to exercise stricter control over the situation following the large-scale migration crisis in Ceuta. He published statistics from the border agency Frontex to show that Spain was not the main route for illegal migration into the European Union.

The prime minister cited official Frontex data for the period starting in 2021. The data shows the routes through which illegal migrants most frequently entered the EU. According to the published statistics:

• approximately 478,600 people entered the EU illegally via Italy;
• 340,600 entered via the Western Balkan countries;
• 259,800 entered via Greece;
• 234,760 entered via Spain;
• approximately 48,000 entered via the countries on the EU’s eastern flank.

Thus, according to the data provided, Spain is not the main route for illegal migration to the European Union. Sánchez’s post was a response to criticism that intensified following a sharp escalation of the situation in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco arrived in a short period of time.

In recent days, a number of European politicians have called on Spain to strengthen security along the EU’s external border. In particular, there have been calls for stricter controls and even temporary restrictions within the Schengen Area.

In response, the Spanish prime minister emphasized that the situation must be assessed based on official data, not just on emotions. “Solidarity and empathy are optional. But respect for European treaties and statistics is not… Now is not the time to divide, but the time to continue building a strong and united EU,” wrote Pedro Sánchez.

At the same time, the migration crisis in Ceuta remains one of the main issues in Europe. Several countries have already announced tighter border controls, and European governments continue to discuss joint measures to address the situation. Sánchez wrote about this on social media platform X.

The Spanish city of Ceuta is experiencing a sharp escalation of the migration crisis following a mass influx of people from Morocco. Local media are reporting on the squatting of vacant housing, thefts, clashes, and heightened security measures, and EU countries are already responding to the situation.