Spanish premier slams EU response to Ceuta as 'selfish, illegal'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday accused several European Union governments of responding to the migration crisis in Ceuta with "selfish, polarizing and illegal" measures, demanding an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers to address the situation. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Sanchez warned that some governments had acted out of "prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political self-interest," according to Spanish daily El Pais.

He noted that while most member states had offered support, others had attacked Spain and called for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area — proposals he dismissed as lacking legal basis since Ceuta is not part of the passport-free zone. "The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarizing and illegal reaction," Sanchez wrote in English, adding that such attitudes contravene European law, humanitarian law and the principles of solidarity underpinning the bloc.

Border controls and humanitarian measures

Spain restored border control at the North African enclave and provided humanitarian assistance following the crisis, returning "virtually all" migrants who entered irregularly and preventing unauthorized onward movement to the rest of Europe within 48 hours. Sanchez said these measures were carried out in coordination with Morocco but received "very little support" from other EU member states, citing Frontex data that shows Spain has one of the bloc's least porous external borders despite being its only member with a land border in Africa.

Melilla reopening and crisis toll

At least 67 people died attempting to reach Spain during the crisis, while nearly 70,000 migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco have already returned, according to Spain's Interior Ministry. Madrid announced it would begin the gradual reopening of the Beni Enzar crossing at Melilla — a separate Spanish enclave to the east — for vehicles participating in Operation Crossing the Strait.

Ireland has convened a meeting of the EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism for Saturday, while representatives of member states are due to meet again on Monday to discuss the situation. Sanchez reminded counterparts that Spain had supported other member states during previous migration crises, including the arrival of migrants via Belarus in 2021 and on Italy's Lampedusa island in 2023.