Baku, August 1, AZERTAC
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday accused several European governments of responding to the migration crisis in Ceuta out of "prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political self-interest," slamming their approach as "selfish, polarizing and illegal," Anadolu Agency reported citing the Spanish daily El Pais.
In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, Sanchez urged the bloc to convene an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers to coordinate a common response.
"The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarizing and illegal reaction,” Sanchez wrote in English.
He said the reaction of European governments had been “quite asymmetrical.”
"The majority have shown us their support and solidarity and have offered their help. Others, however, have chosen to attack Spain and call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area," he wrote, without naming the governments concerned.
According to the letter, Spain restored border control at Ceuta – a Spanish enclave in North Africa – and provided humanitarian assistance, returned "virtually all" migrants who entered irregularly and prevented unauthorized onward movement to the rest of Europe within 48 hours.
According to the letter, those measures were carried out in coordination with Morocco but with "very little support" from other EU member states.
Sanchez argued that the attitude of those governments was "contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity" underpinning the EU.
He stressed that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area and said proposals to suspend Spain from the passport-free zone thus have no legal basis.
Citing Frontex data, Sanchez said Spain has one of the EU's least porous external borders despite being the bloc's only member state with a land border in Africa.
He also cited how 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.
Ireland has reportedly 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.
Meanwhile, Madrid announced it would begin the gradual reopening of the Beni Enzar crossing at Melilla – a separate Spanish enclave in North Africa, to the east – for vehicles taking part in Operation Crossing the Strait.
According to Spain's Interior Ministry, at least 67 people died trying to reach Spain during the crisis, while nearly 70,000 migrants who entered Ceuta from Morocco have already returned.