Spain Accuses EU Partners of Selfishness After Ceuta Migration Crisis Sparks Schengen Rift

Spain has sharply criticized several European Union member states for what it described as a “selfish, divisive and illegitimate” response to the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, after tens of thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish territory from neighboring Morocco.

The diplomatic dispute comes days after an estimated 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 in one of the largest mass border crossings in the enclave’s history, overwhelming Spanish authorities and triggering a humanitarian and security crisis.

Spanish officials say the situation is now largely under control, with almost all of those who crossed into Ceuta having since returned. However, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed on Saturday that the death toll linked to the crisis has risen to around 67 people, highlighting the human cost of the mass migration.

Instead of receiving unanimous backing from its European partners, Madrid has found itself at odds with several governments over the handling of the crisis.

Italy temporarily suspended the Schengen visa agreement with Spain, introducing additional border controls, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the events in Ceuta as “shocking.”

Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s position, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš went even further by calling for Spain’s temporary suspension from the Schengen Area.

The criticism prompted a strong response from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressing what he described as his “deep concern” over the reaction of some EU governments.

Sánchez insisted that Spain had regained full control of the border within 48 hours, preventing any unauthorized onward movement of migrants toward mainland Europe.

He also emphasized that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area, rejecting suggestions that the crisis represented a failure of Europe’s passport-free travel zone.

While thanking many European countries for showing solidarity, Sánchez accused others of exploiting the crisis for domestic political gain.

“Some governments chose to attack Spain, driven by hatred, misinformation, ignorance or political interests,” he said.

He warned that such responses undermine European unity at a time when cooperation is most needed.

“The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, divisive and illegitimate response,” Sánchez added.

The diplomatic tensions follow Spain’s deployment of additional military personnel and security forces to Ceuta after thousands of migrants, most of them Moroccan nationals, reached the enclave by sea and across its coastal breakwaters.

The unprecedented influx reignited debate across Europe over migration policy, border security and burden-sharing, while also exposing growing political divisions within the EU over how member states should respond to sudden migration emergencies.