Twenty-two European Union leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have criticised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s migration policies following a major influx of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
Around 50,000 unauthorised migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco during the surge. Almost all have since returned to Morocco, while none crossed into mainland Spain or the wider EU.
Despite the situation easing, the group of EU leaders expressed “serious concern” about the security of the bloc’s external borders. They also criticised Spain’s plan to grant legal status to as many as 1.2 million unauthorised migrants, arguing that such policies could act as a “pull factor” for further migration.
In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the leaders called for greater coordination between EU governments on migration policy.
“We have a duty to effectively deter and relentlessly combat illegal migration, by coordinating our action, strengthening our external borders and addressing all policies that can serve as pull factors, such as the regularization of [a] very large number of irregular migrants,” they wrote.
The leaders also warned against allowing uncontrolled migration to undermine the EU’s border system and suggested that temporary border controls could be introduced or strengthened if necessary.
Madrid rejects link between regularisation and Ceuta
The Spanish government has rejected claims that its migrant regularisation programme contributed to the influx into Ceuta.
Madrid has argued that the migrants who entered the Spanish territory would not qualify for the scheme. A Spanish foreign ministry spokesperson said applicants must meet specific requirements, including demonstrating that they were living in Spain before 1 January 2026 and had remained in the country for at least five consecutive months when applying.
The government also pointed out that applications for the programme, which was launched in April, closed in June.
However, those explanations have not prevented the issue from becoming a wider dispute within the EU.
“We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible. That a migrant’s illegal entry can turn into legal stay,” the leaders said.
The group also called for a video conference involving EU interior ministers to discuss possible measures. Italy and Denmark took the initiative in preparing the letter.
Sánchez attacks calls to suspend Spain from Schengen
Sánchez responded separately to the EU leaders, accusing them of unfairly targeting Spain and calling for his country to be temporarily excluded from the Schengen Area.
Meloni was the first to suggest suspending Spain from the 29-country Schengen zone, where internal border controls have largely been removed. Italy subsequently introduced restrictions on movement from Spain at Italian ports and airports, while France increased checks along its border with Spain following the migration surge in Ceuta.
In his response to von der Leyen, Costa and Martin, Sánchez argued that proposals to remove Spain from the Schengen Area were incompatible with European law and the principles underpinning the bloc.
He described the calls as “not only contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together,” but also damaging to “Europe’s long-term interests and to the most basic common sense.”
Sánchez also defended Spain’s record on protecting the EU’s external borders. He cited figures showing that Spain recorded roughly half as many illegal entries as Italy between 2021 and 2026.
The Spanish prime minister further argued that migration had previously been used as a tool to put pressure on EU countries, pointing to Belarus’ actions in 2021, when migrants were facilitated towards Poland and several Baltic states.
Sánchez accused countries supporting Spain’s temporary suspension from Schengen of being “driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.”
“In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” he wrote.
Migration dispute puts pressure on EU unity
The exchange highlights growing divisions among EU governments over migration, border security and the future of the Schengen system.
Those calling for measures against Spain include politicians from both the right and centre-left. Among them is Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen of the nationalist Finns Party, as well as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose Social Democrats belong to the centre-left Party of European Socialists.
The dispute over Ceuta has therefore developed beyond Spain’s migration policy, becoming part of a wider European debate over border controls, irregular migration and how the EU should respond to sudden movements of people across its external borders.
