European Commission delays decision on Spanish aid request over Ceuta migration

The European Commission has delayed a decision on Spain’s request for financial support to confront irregular migration flows toward Ceuta, saying the application remains under assessment and requires further answers from Spanish authorities.

Commission spokesman Markus Lambert said Brussels was treating the request as a priority, but no final decision had been taken. The delay is increasing pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government, particularly after Sánchez criticized the commission for failing to show what he called the necessary level of solidarity with Spain.

Madrid wants the funding to strengthen Ceuta’s border-management capacity and handle migrant arrivals. Spanish authorities reported that at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco in July.

Sánchez has also stressed the difficulty of fully guaranteeing security along the borders of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain is continuing to press Brussels for a joint European response and urgent financing to address what it presents as a shared crisis.

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The file is still under evaluation.