Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's migration policies face intense criticism from across the European Union following a surge of migrants into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa last week.
The sudden arrival of 50,000 to 60,000 migrants on Thursday and Friday triggered a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta and revived the immigration debate within the 27-nation bloc, although most migrants were eventually returned. According to Spanish and Moroccan authorities, over 80 migrants died, some drowning or being trampled during a stampede toward a breakwater barrier.
Open letters from 22 EU leaders, alongside a response from Sanchez, have highlighted a contentious debate inside the EU pitting migration proponents against the progressive Spanish leader who has challenged consensus on migration, NATO spending, Gaza, and Israel.
Sanchez's government characterized these attacks as politically motivated, stating that most migrants were pushed back from Ceuta within hours in "close coordination with the Moroccan authorities and with very little support from other European states."
Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific and Middle East at Natixis, noted that regardless of Tuesday's meeting outcome, Europe is exhibiting damaging disunity while confronting security threats from Moscow, instability with Washington, and economic tension with Beijing. She stated, "Europe has shown weakness again... Massive weakness."
EU leaders quickly targeted Sanchez after videos from Ceuta went viral. Many attributed the incident to his government’s progressive policies and publicly advocated for enhanced border checks at sea, air, and land entry points.
An open letter signed by leaders from 22 EU countries, ranging from Finland to Malta, blamed a recent Spanish court ruling for instigating "this attack on our migration and asylum system."
Spain's Supreme Court had ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported without due process, unlike those crossing by land or scaling Ceuta’s border fence because they had not crossed a physical barrier.
Sanchez countered that the ruling was intentionally misinterpreted by migrant smugglers to persuade thousands to swim around the border fence. The Socialist leader responded in his own letter by referencing Spain's solidarity with the EU in accepting migrants from Belarus into Eastern European nations in 2021 and those arriving at Lampedusa, southern Italy, in 2023.
### Right-wing coalition led migration policy overhaul in Brussels
Many right-wing politicians across the EU have won elections by promising to curb migration, claiming success through the European Migration and Asylum Pact.
Newer, stricter regulations for asylum seekers and migrants largely replaced the previous migration system, which was widely deemed a failure. EU capitals now possess greater capabilities to monitor, detain, and deport migrants to designated "safe countries" like Morocco or "return hubs" outside the bloc.
Human rights groups have expressed skepticism regarding these new provisions, fearing that overseas deportation centers could become long-term holding facilities overcrowded with asylum seekers in legal limbo.
Michele LeVoy, director of the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, commented, "On Ceuta, political games are being played over the lives of people on both sides of the border." She criticized "Europe’s inaction" in addressing the root causes of migration that she said led to the Ceuta crisis. LeVoy added, "We need regular pathways for people to move in safety and dignity."
### Italy slams Sanchez and calls for fast-tracking controversial migrant detention center
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni issued the sharpest criticism of Sanchez while also announcing that Italy would enforce air and sea border controls with Spain.
However, analyst Matteo Villa from the Italian Institute for Political Studies in Milan noted that Ceuta’s remote location meant "there was almost zero risk that people (would) really arrive in Spain and then move on to Italy," adding that only 2% of migrants arriving in Europe reach Italy.
Italy has also cited Ceuta to advance a controversial plan developed through its partnership with Albania, aimed at moving migrant screenings outside the EU.
Sanchez retorted by calling the Italian leader’s stance on Ceuta "contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together." In an X post, Sánchez also asserted that Italy has admitted twice as many migrants as Spain since 2021, citing 478,000 for Italy versus 234,000 for Spain.
### Migration dynamics and policies have changed in Europe
Data from the EU’s border agency Frontex indicates that migration into the EU peaked in 2015 with 1.8 million people, most of whom crossed via the Balkans or the eastern Mediterranean. Since then, numbers have significantly decreased: crossings fell by 37% in the first half of 2026 to approximately 49,000 people.
Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens stated, "Fewer boats are setting out towards Europe, and that is the result of sustained cooperation with our partners in the region."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen initially expressed shock over Ceuta while advocating for reinforcing the bloc's firm stance on migration. However, she sent a letter to Sanchez on Monday praising his crisis management. Arianna Podesta, a commission spokesperson, reflected the letter’s contents by saying, "We need a lessons-learned process to improve our European resilience, preparedness and response." She added, "What happened in Ceuta has made it clear that we must do more to further strengthen external borders, for example with vigilant monitoring and where needed the use of physical barriers."