Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday denounced the “selfish” attitude of some European Union countries in their response to a migrant crisis in the Northern African enclave of , governed by Madrid.
“In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” he wrote in a letter to the bloc’s heads seen by Bloomberg, and called for a meeting of the interior ministers of its 27 members.
The letter was addressed to European Council president Antonio Costa, European Commission President and Irish leader Micheal Martin, who holds the bloc’s rotating presidency.
Quick answers to key questions
Why did thousands of migrants return to Morocco shortly after entering Ceuta?⌵
Many migrants returned because they realized Ceuta was not a gateway to mainland Europe and faced difficult living conditions, including a lack of food and shelter.
What measures did the Spanish government take to handle the migrant crisis in Ceuta?⌵
The Spanish government deployed soldiers, police, and maritime support to secure the border, establish control, and return the majority of migrants who crossed irregularly.
What happened to the migrants who crossed into Ceuta from Morocco?⌵
While around 50,000 migrants initially crossed into Ceuta, most returned to Morocco within 48 hours due to harsh conditions and lack of legal routes to continue to mainland Europe.
How did the arrival of migrants in Ceuta impact European policies?⌵
The crisis prompted 22 EU leaders to call for an emergency meeting to discuss coordinated responses to prevent mass uncontrolled crossings and maintain border security.
What were the risks and challenges faced by migrants attempting to cross into Ceuta?⌵
Migrants faced deadly challenges, including drowning and being crushed during crossings, with updated reports indicating at least 67 fatalities during this crisis.
Sanchez said the response of some European governments to the situation “is not only contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together.”
“It is also contrary to Europe’s long-term interests and to the most basic common sense,” he wrote, expressing his “serious concern” to reactions he said were “driven by prejudice, , ignorance, or political interest.”
He wrote the letter after some European leaders vowed to impose border checks, if necessary, and even suspend Spain’s participation in Europe’s free-travel zone, known as the Schengen area.
EU leaders double down
EU leaders doubled down on Saturday in a letter also sent to the bloc requesting an extraordinary meeting of interior ministers to decide on an “immediate and coordinated European response.”
“We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible,” 22 EU leaders, including Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, wrote.
France was not a signatory to the letter, shared in a now-deleted post by Frederiksen on X.
Ceuta migration row
Sanchez, the most progressive European leader on migration, became the target of swift condemnation and warnings from EU peers after some 50,000 undocumented migrants arrived illegally in Ceuta this week, sparking chaos at one of the EU’s two land borders with Africa.
Most have since returned to , Sanchez said.
According to Spanish newspaper El País, sixty-seven people died during the crossings, which saw thousands of people jumping over fences or swimming through the sea from Morocco to Ceuta.
Ceuta and Melilla, other Spanish enclaves in North Africa, are Spanish territories, and once people enter either city, they are officially on EU soil, although it’s highly unlikely that newly arrived migrants can move anywhere else in Europe from there.
“In less than 48 hours, my Government has succeeded in fully restoring control over the border, in providing extensive humanitarian assistance, in returning virtually all of the migrants who crossed irregularly, and in preventing any unauthorised onward movement toward continental Europe,” Sanchez said.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
