Spain condemns ‘selfish’ response of EU leaders to Ceuta migrant crisis as death toll rises
The migrant crisis sparked by a border breach in the Spanish enclave Ceuta deepened on Saturday, as Spain accused EU countries of a “selfish” response.
More than 60 people are now reported to have died after around 60,000 crossed into the North African territory from Morocco on Thursday in extraordinary footage.
The incident has caused division in the EU, with Italy temporarily suspending the border-free Schengen arrangement with Madrid in a move backed by Finland and Denmark.
The EU has now called an emergency meeting of national ministers on Tuesday to discuss the issue, after separate calls from Spain and 22 other members of the block.
“In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,” Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez said in a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, raising “serious concerns” about the response of some countries.
US Donald Trump has also waded into the row, calling the Ceuta incident a “catastrophe”. In a further statement, his administration accused Mr Sánchez’s left-wing government of “deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe” while vice president JD Vance described the situation as an “Invasion of the West”.
“I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country,” Trump said in a cabinet meeting on Friday.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni described the footage as “shocking” and called on European nations to urgently respond to illegal immigration.
“It is an important signal: the line that Italy has long supported is today shared by an ever-growing number of European Nations,” she said, after 22 of 27 EU members signed a letter calling for tougher action.
“Defending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe.”
In the letter to Ireland, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, the countries said the crossings challenged the EU’s external frontier and risked encouraging further illegal migration.
The Schengen Area is a large zone in Europe, comprising of 29 countries including France, Germany, and Italy, where people can travel freely without border passport checks.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen urged the EU to “consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation”. France has tightened checks on its border with Spain and said it would increase its police presence by Saturday.
Mr Sánchez and his senior officials have criticised the response, stating: “Solidarity and empathy are optional. Respect for European treaties and data is not.”
