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Spain Criticizes EU Allies Over Ceuta Migrant Crisis Response
🇪🇸 Spain /Crime & Justice

Spain Criticizes EU Allies Over Ceuta Migrant Crisis Response

From La Vanguardia · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the reaction of 22 EU countries, led by Italy, to the migrant crisis in Ceuta as "selfish, polarizing, and illegal."
  • Sánchez defended Spain's migration policy and highlighted Ceuta's position as the EU's external border, arguing that the response contradicts European law and solidarity principles.
  • In response, a coalition of 22 EU nations, also seeking an urgent meeting, warned of reinforcing internal border controls, while Italy began random checks on travelers from Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has strongly condemned the response of 22 European Union countries, spearheaded by Italy, to the recent migrant influx in Ceuta. Sánchez described the reaction as "selfish, polarizing, and illegal" in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He urged the Irish presidency to convene an urgent meeting to address the situation, emphasizing Ceuta's status as the EU's external border.

The reaction is selfish, polarizing, and illegal.

— Pedro SánchezThe Spanish Prime Minister described the response of some EU countries to the Ceuta migrant crisis.

In his missive, Sánchez defended Spain's migration policies and expressed deep concern over the reactions from several European governments. He attributed the response to "prejudices, fake news, ignorance, or political interests," asserting that it runs counter to European law, humanitarian principles, and the solidarity that binds the EU. Sánchez also pointed out that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area and that Spain is considered one of the EU's least permeable external borders, according to Frontex.

Sánchez further highlighted that irregular entries into Spain are half the number recorded in Italy over recent years. He argued that in the current international climate, the EU cannot afford such "selfish, polarizing, and illegal" reactions. In response to Spain's call, EU Interior Ministers are set to meet via videoconference to coordinate a bloc-wide response.

In the current international context, the EU cannot afford this type of selfish, polarizing, and illegal reaction.

— Pedro SánchezSánchez emphasized the negative implications of the EU's fragmented response to the migrant crisis.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 22 EU countries, led by Italy, has also sent a letter to European leaders, including Council President Charles Michel and Commission President von der Leyen, requesting an urgent meeting of Interior Ministers. This group has warned of their readiness to "reinforce or reintroduce temporary controls" on internal borders to mitigate the risk of secondary movements, despite no unauthorized displacements from Ceuta to other parts of Europe having been detected yet. Italy has already begun implementing random checks on travelers arriving from Spain at its airports and ports, following a decision by the Italian government to temporarily suspend the Schengen agreement.

We are willing to reinforce or reintroduce temporary controls.

— Unnamed official from the coalition of 22 countriesA representative from the group of EU nations led by Italy indicated their readiness to implement stricter internal border measures.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Vanguardia in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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