Lithuania's president criticizes Spain's border situation, warns of EU instability

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has voiced strong criticism regarding the migrant situation in Spain, asserting that Lithuania cannot afford to have "porous borders in every sense of the word." Speaking on Friday, Nausėda highlighted Lithuania's own experience in managing its borders, even amidst significant tensions, and its current capacity to aid neighboring Latvia with its migration issues.

Nausėda expressed concern that the events in Spain are detrimental to the European Union's internal stability. He suggested that the situation raises doubts about the integrity of the Schengen Area and could incentivize the creation of internal barriers within the EU. The president stated his vision for the EU is a region well-protected externally but free from internal borders and barriers.

He stressed the need for a clear migration policy within the EU, rather than a reactive approach. Nausėda called for decisive action, contrasting the current situation with the responses in 2016 and 2017. He emphasized that EU policy should adapt to present-day demands.

The comments followed reports of approximately 49,000 migrants arriving in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta within 24 hours, primarily from neighboring Morocco. Spanish authorities deployed military units to assist border guards, though Madrid did not declare a state of emergency. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously called for Spain's suspension from the EU's visa-free Schengen zone.