Spanish PM Criticises Europe's Response to Ceuta Crisis
Istanbul (ANTARA) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has harshly criticised the response of several European Union (EU) governments to the migration crisis in Ceuta, stating that their approach is driven by prejudice, fake news, and purely political interests.
As reported by the Spanish daily El Pais, Sánchez assessed the measures taken by some EU member states as “selfish, divisive, and illegal.”
These allegations were conveyed by Sánchez via an official letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin—whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
In his letter, Sánchez urged the EU to immediately convene an emergency meeting of interior ministers to coordinate a collective response.
“The European Union must not allow such selfish, divisive, and illegal reactions,” Sánchez wrote in his correspondence.
Sánchez also noted that the responses from European nations tend to be asymmetrical. While the majority of countries have shown support and solidarity, others have attacked Spain and called for the temporary suspension of Spain from the Schengen Area.
He emphasised that the proposal to exclude Spain from the visa-free zone lacks any legal basis, given that Ceuta is administratively not part of the Schengen Area.
In his letter, Sánchez explained that within a 48-hour period, Spain had restored border control in Ceuta—a Spanish autonomous territory in North Africa—as well as provided humanitarian aid, returned “almost all” migrants who entered illegally, and prevented unauthorised movement into other European territories.
These management measures were carried out in coordination with Morocco, but received “very little support” from other EU member states.
Sánchez considers the attitude of some EU governments to be contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principle of solidarity. He also reminded the recipients of Spain’s contributions to assisting other member states during previous migration crises, such as in Belarus in 2021 and Lampedusa, Italy, in 2023.
In response to the situation, Ireland has reportedly convened a meeting of the EU Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism on Saturday, while representatives from member states are scheduled to meet again on Monday (3/8) to discuss further handling.
On the other hand, Madrid has announced the gradual reopening of the Beni Enzar crossing in Melilla—another Spanish enclave in North Africa—for vehicles participating in Operation Crossing the Strait.
According to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, at least 67 people died while attempting to reach Spanish territory during the crisis, while almost 70,000 migrants who had entered Ceuta have been returned to Morocco.