Ceuta crisis: 22 EU leaders gang up against Spain’s Sánchez over his migration policy

Ceuta crisis: 22 EU leaders gang up against Spain’s Sánchez over his migration policy

Twenty-two EU leaders have signed a joint letter rebuking Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez following a massive migration crisis in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, where roughly 50,000 to 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco in a single day. The letter, spearheaded by Italy and Denmark, accuses Sánchez's administration of implementing lenient policies that create a "pull factor" and undermine the collective security of the European Union's external borders.

 

The Core Conflict

The diplomatic rift highlights a sharp rightward shift in European migration politics, leaving Spain increasingly isolated on the continental stage.

• The Accusations: Signatories—including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk—claim that Spain's domestic policies triggered the influx. They specifically targeted Spain’s recent regularisation program for 500,000 irregular migrants and a Supreme Court ruling that mandates individual asylum assessments for migrants arriving by sea.
• Demands for Action: The 22 leaders have called on the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU to urgently convene an extraordinary meeting of interior ministers. They argue that uncontrolled mass crossings cannot be allowed to create the perception that illegal entry into the EU is permissible.
• Border Closures: In immediate retaliation to the crisis, Italy formally suspended Schengen cooperation with Spain, closing its air and maritime borders to the country. Prominent right-wing figures across Europe have publicly demanded that Spain be suspended from the Schengen Area entirely.

Spain's Response

Prime Minister Sánchez and his cabinet have aggressively pushed back against the internal EU backlash:

• Condemning "Selfishness": Sánchez strongly criticized the response of the 22 EU nations as "selfish," sending his own letter to EU institutions to defend Spain's actions.
• National Sovereignty: Sánchez deployed the Spanish military to Ceuta, closed the border of Spain's other enclave, Melilla, and characterized the mass border breach as an attack on Spanish territorial integrity orchestrated by human smuggling networks.
• Status of the Crisis: Spain's Interior Ministry reported that the situation has been almost entirely reversed and returned to normal. Over 48,000 of the Moroccans who crossed have already been repatriated or returned voluntarily. To prevent future surges, Spain has begun installing a specialized inflatable maritime barrier along the Ceuta coastline.

Member State Breakdown

The letter has exposed deep ideological fractures across the bloc regarding border enforcement:

Stance on Spain's Policy	Countries / Leaders	Key Arguments
Opposed to Sánchez	22 EU nations (led by Italy, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Greece)	Mass regularisations and sea-return bans threaten EU-wide border integrity.
Abstained / Supported	Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal	Refused to sign the rebuke; emphasize managed coordination or back Madrid's sovereignty.