In a strongly worded letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned Italy and other European countries that responded to this week’s chaotic scenes in Ceuta by demanding that Spain be suspended from the Schengen Area. The Spanish Prime Minister called on the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to restore Europe’s common position.
The letter has been published by Euronews’ editor Maria Tadeo.
The Spanish Prime Minister said that those who had entered Ceuta illegally were expelled with the close support and coordination of the Moroccan authorities. He lamented that some European countries had refused to offer assistance, while acknowledging that many others had expressed their support.
The Spanish Prime Minister also said that Spain has the second-most secure border in the EU, based on irregular migrant arrivals, which have declined in recent years. This, he said, had enabled Spain to accept migrants from Italy during the Lampedusa crisis in 2023.
The letter is in reaction to Italy’s call to suspend Spain from Schengen. The Spanish government states that most of those who breached the border illegally during this week have been sent back.
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