Spain attacks 'selfish' response of some EU countries to Ceuta migrant crossings
Spain has criticized several EU nations for their response to a recent influx of migrants at the Ceuta enclave, labeling the reactions as selfish and unlawful. While Spain has regained control of the border, the incident has sparked a diplomatic rift regarding the management of external EU borders.
Why it matters
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges of migration policy and internal cohesion within the European Union.
Spain has condemned the "selfish, polarising and unlawful" reaction of some EU countries to the influx of about 60,000 migrants from Morocco to Ceuta.
Officials say almost all those who reached the enclave on 30 July have returned, while Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday that the death toll had risen to at least 67.
It comes after Italy temporarily suspended the EU's border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the scenes "shocking".
Finland and Denmark backed Italy's move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had "serious concerns" about some European governments.
He said the Spanish government had fully restored control over the border and prevented any "unauthorised onward movement towards continental Europe" in less than 48 hours.
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