Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has turned his frustration on fellow European Union countries, accusing them of a selfish and unlawful response to the migrant crisis unfolding in Ceuta, even as the death toll from this week’s border crossings rose to 67.
The scale of what happened in Ceuta this week was staggering. Somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 people attempted to cross into the Spanish exclave from Morocco, according to CNN. By Friday evening, Spanish authorities said the vast majority of them had already returned to Morocco.
Not everyone made it out safely. Officials in Ceuta said many of those who died drowned as crowds surged over the border by both land and sea on Thursday, a wave large enough to overwhelm the guards stationed there.
Sánchez Fires Back at Critics
Rather than facing solidarity from fellow EU nations, Sánchez says Spain has instead run into hostility. In a letter that’s been widely quoted across European media, he condemned what he called a selfish, polarizing and unlawful reaction from other member states.
“In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” he said.
That criticism was aimed squarely at Italy and France. Italy temporarily reinstated some border controls on travel coming from Spain, while French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez ordered additional checks along the France Spain border. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni went further still, calling for Spain to have its participation in the Schengen agreement suspended entirely.
Sánchez didn’t hold back in his response, writing that this kind of attitude stems from prejudice, misinformation, ignorance or political self interest. He argued that given the current state of world affairs, the European Union simply cannot afford to indulge in this sort of selfish and divisive behavior.
Brussels Steps In
The pressure has prompted movement at the EU level. Ireland, which currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, announced Saturday that it would convene an emergency meeting of national ministers to address the crossings. Irish Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister Jim O’Callaghan said on X that he’s staying in close contact with every EU member state and continuing to monitor how the situation develops.
What Triggered the Surge
Spanish officials have said they intend to move quickly to expel anyone who entered the country irregularly during the crisis. The timing of this surge isn’t a coincidence. It follows a recent ruling from Spain’s Supreme Court that bars authorities from summarily deporting migrants who arrive by sea without following due process.
That ruling, however, appears to have been widely misread. Experts say the court’s decision was actually quite narrow in scope, and there’s a growing belief among analysts that both migrants and the smugglers who profit from these journeys likely misinterpreted, whether accidentally or intentionally, just how much protection that ruling actually offers.