Pedro Sanchez faces criticism from European leaders over migration policies following a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing significant criticism from 22 European Union leaders regarding his migration policies following a humanitarian crisis in Ceuta. Between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants arrived in the Spanish territory of North Africa, where over 80 people died due to drowning or stampedes. While Sanchez defended his actions, many EU leaders blamed his progressive policies and a recent Spanish court ruling for the incident. The Italian Premier, Giorgia Meloni, offered the most blunt criticism, announcing that Italy would enforce air and sea border controls with Spain. Sanchez countered by noting that Spain had previously shown solidarity with other nations, such as Italy and Eastern Europe, and highlighted that Italy has accepted twice as many migrants as Spain since 2021. The crisis has reignited a debate over the new European Migration and Asylum Pact, which aims to provide stricter regulations for surveillance and deportation to safe countries like Morocco.