After between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave in just a few days, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defends his policies while part of the EU accuses him of an 'attack on the migration and asylum system.'
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has come under sharp criticism from a significant number of European leaders following last week's migrant crisis in the North African enclave of Ceuta. According to the Associated Press (AP), the massive influx of migrants has once again exposed deep fractures within the European Union over migration policy.
In a short period, between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants arrived in Ceuta, Spain's enclave on African soil, as reported by N1 Serbia, citing AP. According to estimates from Spanish authorities, around 69,500 people were subsequently returned to Morocco. The human cost of this crisis has been high: sources disagree on the exact number of casualties. N1 Serbia cites data from Spanish and Moroccan authorities reporting over 80 migrant deaths, while HRT reports 72 deaths on the Spanish side and another 11 on the Moroccan side. Hundreds of migrants remain in Ceuta, struggling to find food and basic living conditions.
The reaction from part of the Union was swift and fierce. In an open letter signed by 22 European leaders, from Finland to Malta, last week's events in Ceuta were characterized as a "attack on our migration and asylum system". The signatories called for urgent reinforcement of controls at the EU's maritime, air, and land borders.
Criticism was particularly directed at the decision by a Spanish court that migrants arriving by sea cannot be automatically deported without due process, unlike those who illegally cross a physical border or fence.
Prime Minister Sanchez dismissed the accusations, stating that his government's actions have been misrepresented. He emphasized that human smugglers had exploited the controversial court ruling to convince thousands of migrants to attempt crossing the border by swimming around the fence. In his response to critics, Sanchez reminded them of his country's earlier gestures of solidarity, noting that Spain accepted migrants in 2021 who arrived in Eastern European countries via Belarus, as well as those who reached the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023.
The most direct criticism came from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who announced that Italy would strengthen air and sea border controls with Spain. Sanchez deemed her stance contrary to European and humanitarian law, as well as the principles of solidarity within the EU.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initially expressed concern over the situation in Ceuta and called for further strengthening of the EU's external border. However, she soon sent a letter of support to Sanchez and his response to the crisis. It was the European Commission that convened an emergency meeting of interior and justice ministers from member states, which is being held via videoconference today, August 4, 2026.
