Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has sharply criticised several European governments’ response to the migration crisis in Ceuta, describing their stance as “selfish, polarising and illegal.” In a letter to senior EU officials, Sánchez accused some member states of acting out of prejudice, misinformation or political interest. His criticism followed Italy’s suspension of Schengen cooperation with Spain, while Finland and Denmark openly considered temporarily excluding Spain from the free-movement area.
The Spanish government argues that these moves conflict with European law and the principles of solidarity underpinning the EU. Sánchez’s letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who holds the rotating EU Council presidency, calls for an urgent meeting of interior ministers to coordinate a common response. Spanish estimates put the number of people who had returned at more than 48,000 of the roughly 50,000 who entered Ceuta from Morocco.
Sánchez pointed out that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area, making threats to suspend Spain’s participation legally questionable. EU rules allow temporary internal border controls only under defined conditions and treat them as exceptional. The European Commission has said they should be a measure of last resort. Frontex figures cited in the dispute put irregular entries between 2021 and 2026 at 478,600 through Italy and 234,760 through Spain, almost exactly half as many through Spain. The figures also list 340,600 through the Western Balkans, 259,800 through Greece and 48,000 through the eastern border. Sánchez argues that the comparison supports Spain’s case for a proportionate response and shared responsibility.
The Spanish government says it restored full border control within 48 hours, returned nearly all irregular migrants and prevented unauthorised movement into the rest of Europe, with limited support from other EU states. Madrid also declared a “Situation of National Security Interest” in Ceuta, establishing a stronger coordination structure involving the General State Administration to manage security, accommodation, identification and case processing. The government said it increased resources for this work and cleared major informal settlements at Trampolín, Benítez and Guano.
Processing cases and arranging returns quickly have become basic to the dispute. Spain reported receiving up to 1,200 asylum applications and resolving 700, while considering accelerated procedures in border areas in line with the EU migration pact. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska rejected allegations of secret removals, saying, “There are no covert deportations under any circumstances,” and describing the returns as voluntary. The debate has brought operational pressures into focus, alongside questions about whether accelerated procedures preserve adequate safeguards for people seeking protection.
Ceuta’s arrivals have also raised broader basic-rights concerns. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights cited media accounts of at least 88 deaths during attempted sea crossings. It also highlighted concerns about the right to life, alleged excessive force, reception conditions and protection for children. The agency said: “Children arriving at EU borders need effective protection.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has separately warned against the “weaponisation” of migration by state and non-state actors. She proposed an emergency structure offering “time-limited and strictly defined flexibility in standard procedures.”
While most EU partners expressed solidarity and offered assistance, Sánchez said some used the crisis to criticise Spain’s migration policy and recent mass regularisation. He reminded them that Spain had previously taken in migrants from Eastern Europe via Belarus in 2021 and supported Italy’s Lampedusa in 2023. Sánchez warned that the approach of certain governments undermines Europe’s long-term interests, particularly given Ceuta’s status outside Schengen and Spain’s position as the only EU country with a land border on the African continent.
The Irish presidency of the EU Council convened a meeting of the Integrated Political Crisis Response Mechanism, where member-state experts were due to analyse the situation. National representatives were also scheduled to meet in Brussels. The European Commission has said that a member state cannot be expelled from Schengen through a unilateral decision; a Council decision would be required. António Costa has publicly supported Spain’s handling of the crisis.
Tensions within the EU over migration management have grown. Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen accused Spain of failing to protect the Union’s external border, while Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called for all options to be considered, including suspending Schengen cooperation. Sánchez responded that solidarity and empathy may be optional, but respect for European treaties and facts is not. For further background on the Ceuta border situation and Spain’s earlier response, see this detailed report on the initial breach and government actions.
Italy and Spain later agreed not to extend their reciprocal border controls, ending a three-month dispute linked to the Ceuta arrivals. Interior ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Fernando Grande-Marlaska agreed by telephone to restore the Schengen arrangements. Italy cited enhanced information-sharing to protect the common area. The decision followed talks between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Sánchez on the margins of a European Council meeting, bringing the dispute back into political negotiations rather than leaving it as a lasting break in cooperation.
Ceuta, a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, has long been a focal point for migration from Morocco to Europe. Its exclusion from the Schengen Area complicates legal and operational responses to sudden migration surges. The episode has exposed divisions over border security, asylum procedures and burden-sharing. The Commission’s proposed emergency structure points to a wider debate over how the EU should respond to exceptional migration pressure while preserving asylum rights. The discussions will test the bloc’s ability to coordinate border policies and uphold shared responsibilities among member states.
