22 EU leaders rebuke Spain's Sánchez over migrant surge

A majority of EU leaders, among them the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have signed a letter to the European Commission expressing "serious concern" over the mass influx of migrants into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta and calling on the bloc to take action to safeguard its external borders.

The letter, published by the Italian government on Saturday and signed by 22 of the EU's 27 member states, was put forward by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. It amounts to a sharp rebuke of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's handling of the crisis.

"We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalization of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible," it states. "That a migrant's illegal entry can turn into legal stay."

"Such a perception would encourage further attempts, undermine confidence in our common migration policy and have repercussions for all Member States."

Some 50,000 migrants had entered Ceuta from Morocco by Friday, arriving in the territory of some 85,000 people within only a few days.

At least 67 people died trying to reach the tiny exclave. Spanish authorities said most of the migrants have since voluntarily returned to Morocco, but several EU leaders have nevertheless sharply criticized the left-wing government in Madrid over its handling of the crisis.

In the letter, whose signatories include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leaders also criticized Spain's recent decision to legalize the status of around 500,000 irregular migrants, arguing that such policies could encourage further migration. However, that legalization programme applies to asylum seekers who submitted applications before the end of 2025, not to newly arrived migrants.

The leaders also linked the mass crossings into Ceuta to a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court, which held that migrants arriving irregularly by sea must receive an individual assessment rather than being immediately returned. The ruling allows immediate pushbacks only for migrants who cross a border fence or other physical barrier.

The leaders of Ireland, France, Luxembourg and Portugal did not sign the letter, along with Spain.

The 22 EU leaders called for "an immediate and coordinated European response," urging the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union to convene an urgent meeting of interior ministers.

Sánchez hits back

According to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Prime Minister Sánchez also wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accusing some member states of being driven by "prejudice, misinformation, ignorance or political interests."

Sánchez also stressed that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen free-travel area, meaning migrants who reach the territory cannot freely continue to other European Union countries.

Italy's right-wing government temporarily suspended the Schengen free-movement agreement with Spain, reintroducing border checks for passengers arriving by air and sea.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Spain but also stepped up checks at the Franco-Spanish border.