Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged EU states to respect European treaties after criticism and retaliatory measures following a migrant surge in Ceuta. He cited Frontex data showing fewer irregular arrivals to Spain compared with Italy and other routes. Italy temporarily suspended Schengen arrangements with Spain, Finland and Germany criticised Madrid, and France tightened border checks. Sánchez called for unity and a facts-based EU response.
Sánchez Demands EU Respect Treaties After Ceuta Migrant Surge
FILE PHOTO - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks during a press conference at the Moncloa Complex, to present the regular accountability report 'Cumpliendo'. (is associated with: «Sánchez hits back at EU critics over Ceuta - treaties not optional») Alejandro Martínez Vélez/EUROPA PRESS/dpa
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday urged European Union member states to honour their treaties after several countries criticised Spain and imposed countermeasures following a recent surge of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.
"Solidarity and compassion are voluntary. Respect for European treaties and the data is not," Sánchez wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Sánchez cited figures from EU border agency Frontex showing that Spain is not the main entry point for irregular migration into the EU. According to Frontex data, over the past five years 478,600 irregular migrants entered the EU via Italy, compared with 234,760 via Spain. Sánchez also noted that recorded arrivals to Spain have been substantially lower since 2021 than on routes such as the central Mediterranean (via Italy), the Western Balkans, and Greece.
EU Reactions
The situation prompted a string of reactions across Europe. Rome's right-wing government said it had temporarily suspended Schengen free-movement arrangements with Spain. Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen wrote on X that Spain had failed to protect the Schengen area's external border. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Madrid to bring the situation under control swiftly, saying protecting the EU's external borders is crucial to combating illegal migration. France also tightened checks at its border with Spain.
Ceuta, a Spanish city on the North African coast bordering Morocco, has been at the centre of the recent migration episode. Sánchez framed his response as a call for facts and legal obligations to prevail over political finger-pointing, and he appealed for continued cooperation to build a strong and united Europe rather than deepen divisions.
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