European Leaders Turn on Spain Over Illegal Migrant Crisis

European leaders have intensified pressure on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after a major surge of illegal migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta triggered a political crisis over border control and migration policy.

Local authorities claimed that around 60,000 migrants stormed the tiny Spanish territory on the North African coast, although Spanish authorities later said the situation had rapidly eased, with more than 48,300 Moroccans voluntarily returning home.

The crisis placed Sánchez increasingly isolated in Europe as leaders turned the events in Ceuta into a test of Spain’s ability to protect the European Union’s external borders.

Thousands of migrants crossed into Ceuta by sea and through the land border with Morocco, prompting Madrid to deploy the army and close the border with Melilla, Spain’s other North African enclave.

EU leaders demand tougher action

The response reflected Europe’s increasingly hard-line political debate on migration, with several leaders focusing on domestic concerns and calling for stronger measures against irregular arrivals.

Italy moved to suspend Schengen cooperation with Spain and closed maritime and air borders to the country. Rome and Paris also agreed to strengthen controls along their shared land border.

Finland and Denmark raised the possibility of cutting Spain off from the EU’s free-travel area, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Madrid it “must regain control” of the territory.

Calls to suspend Spain from Schengen came first from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a long-time critic of Sánchez who openly supports Spain’s right-wing Vox party, and later from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

However, legal experts questioned whether such a suspension could actually happen.

“It is not possible to exclude a state from Schengen in this way,” said Cécilia Rizcallah, a law and human rights professor at UCLouvain Saint-Louis University in Brussels, arguing that the proposal represented a misuse of legal terminology.

EU says wider migration movement remains limited

A senior European Commission official said the possibility of migrants reaching mainland Europe remained low.

“So far we haven’t seen any onward movements from Ceuta to mainland Spain or other member states,” the official told journalists.

The EU considers Morocco a safe country of origin, meaning asylum claims from Moroccan nationals entering Europe are rarely approved.

Despite the pressure, Sánchez called for unity among European governments.

“This is not the time to divide,” he wrote on X. “It is the time to continue building a strong and united EU.”

The Ceuta crisis quickly became a political opportunity for Europe’s far-right parties.

As dramatic footage spread online, conservative and far-right groups criticised Sánchez’s left-wing coalition government and accused it of encouraging irregular migration.

The centre-right European People’s Party also attacked Sánchez over his government’s plans to regularise around 500,000 migrants, a policy opponents have criticised.

However, far-right leaders moved faster.

Matteo Salvini was among the first European politicians to call for suspending Schengen cooperation with Spain.

French far-right figures, including Jordan Bardella, accused Sánchez of allowing an “unprecedented deluge” of migrants.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and other government figures later joined calls for action against Spain, prompting criticism from other European governments, including Austria.

International pressure grows

The controversy also spread beyond Europe, with US conservative figures and some officials portraying the events as evidence that Sánchez’s migration policies had failed.

Elon Musk shared videos showing migrants crossing the Spanish border, including content from Dutch far-right activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek, who supports a campaign calling for mass deportations.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Spain to adopt Poland’s stricter approach to border security, warning that Spain “must follow our example if Schengen is to survive.”

France adopted a more supportive approach, saying it stood ready to assist Madrid through EU border agency Frontex if requested.

EU officials confirmed that around 30 Frontex border guards were already stationed near Spain’s internal border with Ceuta, although Madrid had not requested additional assistance.

EU leaders divided over Sánchez response

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the scenes in Ceuta as “unacceptable” and called for action against smuggling networks and faster migrant returns.

However, she focused on the EU’s partnership with Morocco rather than directly defending Sánchez.

European Council President António Costa took a different approach, offering clear support for Spain and praising Madrid’s “firm” response.

Costa expressed solidarity with Sánchez, seeking to prevent the Spanish leader from becoming politically isolated as Europe debated its migration policies and the future of the Schengen system.

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