Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended his government's handling of the recent migration crisis in Ceuta, pushing back against mounting criticism from fellow European leaders who blamed Madrid's migration policies for last week's unprecedented influx of migrants into Ceuta.
The crisis erupted after around 72,000 migrants reached or attempted to reach Ceuta over two days, overwhelming the city before most were returned. More than 80 people died, including migrants who drowned or were crushed during attempts to cross a breakwater, according to Spanish and Moroccan authorities.
Sánchez has rejected accusations that his government's policies encouraged the mass crossings, arguing instead that the crisis resulted from human traffickers deliberately misrepresenting a recent ruling by Spain's Supreme Court.
The court ruled in July that migrants arriving in Ceuta by sea cannot be summarily returned without due legal process, unlike those intercepted after crossing the land border or climbing the border fence.
According to Sánchez, trafficking networks exploited the decision by spreading false claims that anyone reaching Ceuta by sea would automatically be allowed to remain.
His remarks came after 22 European Union leaders signed a joint letter describing the court ruling as the trigger for the crisis and calling for stronger measures to protect the bloc's external borders.
Among Sánchez's most vocal critics was Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who announced additional air and maritime border controls with Spain and argued that Madrid's migration approach had weakened Europe's border management.
Sánchez responded in a public letter, describing Meloni's position as incompatible with European law, humanitarian law and the principle of solidarity among EU member states.
The Spanish leader also defended his government's broader migration record, noting that Spain has received fewer migrants than Italy since 2021. According to figures cited by Sánchez, Spain has registered about 234,000 migrant arrivals, compared with 478,000 in Italy during the same period.
Madrid has also rejected suggestions that its response to the Ceuta crisis was inadequate.
The Spanish government said most migrants were returned within hours in close coordination with Moroccan authorities, emphasizing that Spain received little operational support from other EU countries despite the scale of the emergency.
Meanwhile, Morocco has argued that the migration surge was a foreseeable consequence of the Supreme Court ruling. Moroccan officials say Rabat warned Spain in advance that the judgment could encourage irregular migration by creating the perception that migrants arriving by sea would benefit from legal protections.
The exchange has exposed growing divisions within the European Union over migration policy, with the Ceuta crisis becoming the latest flashpoint in a broader debate over border security, asylum rules and burden-sharing among member states.
