Twenty-two European Union leaders have sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressing concern about the migration crisis in Ceuta and criticizing Spain's migration policy. According to Politico, the signatories include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and leaders of 20 other member states.
In the letter, they call for a tougher policy on illegal immigration, following the entry of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. They also criticize the Spanish government's plan to legalize up to 1.2 million undocumented migrants, arguing that such measures encourage new migratory flows. The leaders call for strengthening the EU's external borders, greater coordination between member states and support the possibility of restoring temporary controls within the Schengen area.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded with a letter to European institutions, accusing several leaders of political attacks on Spain and opposing the idea of suspending the country from the Schengen area. Sánchez described the proposal as incompatible with European law, the principles of solidarity and the long-term interests of the European Union.
