Pedro Sánchez has responded to criticism from several European governments regarding Spanish migratory policy during the European Council summit held in Brussels. The President of the Government has defended the Executive's management against accusations about the extraordinary regularization of migrants and has vindicated Spain's results in the fight against irregular entries. "Spain is an advanced student in the fight against irregular immigration," he stated in his appearance after the meeting of European leaders.
The debate has been marked by the positions of Italy, Denmark, Austria, and the Czech Republic, which have questioned different measures of the Spanish Government. While Giorgia Meloni and Mette Frederiksen have pushed for new restrictions on asylum, other leaders have pointed to the extraordinary regularization as a possible cause of the migratory crisis in Ceuta. However, the European Commission has rejected that there is a demonstrated relationship between that measure and the massive arrival of migrants to the autonomous city.
Sánchez vindicates Spanish management and defends Ceuta and Melilla
In the face of the reproaches received, Sánchez has defended that the data supports the Executive's actions. "The data shows that Spain is having a very responsible policy in management," he assured. The president has also encouraged European leaders to continue working on the migration and asylum pact, instead of focusing the debate on criticism of national decisions.
The head of the Executive has also found significant support in the official conclusions of the summit. The Twenty-Seven have recognized the specific situation of Ceuta and Melilla as the cities that host the European Union's only land border with the African continent. The text also expresses "solidarity and support" for Spain for the massive entry of migrants registered in Ceuta on July 30 and 31.
Sánchez has celebrated this recognition with a message addressed to those who question the Spanish position in Europe. "Europe is today more present than it has ever been in Ceuta and Melilla, because both cities are also Europe," he pointed out. The president has admitted that "there is still much to do," but has described the agreement as an important step for community institutions to recognize the situation of the two autonomous cities.
Meloni and Frederiksen demand stricter asylum law
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, have led a pre-summit meeting in which 18 countries participated, without Spain. Among their proposals is to provide the European Union with mechanisms that allow temporarily suspending asylum procedures in exceptional situations, such as the crisis experienced in Ceuta. Meloni has defended the need to maintain high vigilance at external borders and to review community legislation to streamline procedures related to irregular migrants.
Frederiksen, for her part, has asked the European Commission to examine the extraordinary regularization promoted by Spain. "I have asked the Commission to examine the case of a country that does practically the opposite of the others," she stated. The Danish leader has questioned whether a person who enters a country irregularly can later obtain a residence permit and has argued that this policy contradicts the majority orientation of the EU. Although she has not directly mentioned Spain in all her statements, her criticisms have occurred in the context of discussions about the measure of the Sánchez Government.
The initiative has the support of other governments that demand a more restrictive migratory policy. The Austrian Chancellor, Christian Stocker, has called the Spanish regularization a "bad signal" and has suggested that it could have influenced the Ceuta crisis, although he has acknowledged that he does not know if the events would have occurred without that measure. The Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, has gone further by accusing some politicians of being willing to "replace the population simply to stay in their positions." For their part, Denmark, Italy, and Poland have pushed for European conclusions to include references to the possible pull effects of national regularization policies.
Brussels backs Spain in Ceuta, but the migratory debate continues
The summit has highlighted the differences between European governments on how to manage immigration. While a group of countries calls for more restrictions, the Spanish Executive defends a policy that combines border control, cooperation between States, and respect for human rights. The European Commission, through its Migration Commissioner, Magnus Brunner, has indicated that the Spanish regularization was not related to the massive entry of migrants into Ceuta, an important clarification in the face of accusations linking both issues.
The political tension has also coincided with a first rapprochement between Sánchez and Meloni to resolve the conflict over border controls. Italy had re-established controls with Spain after the Ceuta crisis, while Madrid responded with reciprocal measures. Both governments have agreed that their Interior Ministers will maintain contacts to find alternatives and move towards the coordinated lifting of these restrictions. The negotiation opens a path to reduce bilateral tension despite differences over migration policy.
In this scenario, the Spanish Government maintains its defense of a migration management that it considers responsible and compatible with European obligations. The summit has recorded the support of the Twenty-Seven for Spain in the face of the Ceuta crisis, although it has not closed the debate on regularization or on the limits that asylum procedures should have in exceptional situations. Sánchez's position is to maintain European cooperation without renouncing national decisions, while member states continue to negotiate how to respond to future migration crises.
