EU: Pedro Sánchez calls for special meeting on Ceuta incidents

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has demanded an emergency European Union meeting, accusing some member states of "selfish," "divisive," and "unlawful" reactions to the situation in Ceuta. In a letter to EU leaders, Sánchez stated that such responses, driven by prejudice, misinformation, ignorance, or political interests, violate European and humanitarian law, as well as the fundamental principles of solidarity.

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My elder brother, Krongsong Mro, 28, cannot speak Bangla well. He heard that treatment in Chattogram would be very expensive. So instead of taking his wife there, he decided to return to the village for traditional treatment, leaving the two children in my care.

"In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford such an egoistic, divisive, and unlawful reaction," Sánchez wrote, calling for a video conference of interior ministers from all 27 EU states. His demand comes after approximately 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, located in North Africa, earlier in the month. The Spanish government has since reported that nearly all of these migrants have returned to Morocco.

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In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford such an egoistic, divisive, and unlawful reaction.

Sánchez's strong stance underscores a growing tension within the EU over migration policies and border management. The incident in Ceuta, a Spanish territory bordering Morocco, highlighted the challenges of managing external borders and the differing approaches among member states. The Prime Minister's appeal suggests a desire to foster a more unified and principled approach to migration within the bloc, emphasizing that collective European interests are undermined by unilateral and potentially discriminatory actions.

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A such attitude – motivated by prejudice, misinformation, ignorance or political interests – not only violates European law, humanitarian law and the principles of solidarity that unite us, but also runs counter to the long-term interests of Europe.