{"id":2915,"date":"2026-08-01T11:39:54","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/08\/01\/spanish-pm-calls-for-urgent-eu-meeting-after-selfish-responses-to-ceuta-crisis\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T11:39:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:39:54","slug":"spanish-pm-calls-for-urgent-eu-meeting-after-selfish-responses-to-ceuta-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2915","title":{"rendered":"Spanish PM calls for urgent EU meeting after \u2018selfish\u2019 responses to Ceuta crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"384c8dd2-34d5-424e-aa89-0cb68fc84d45\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Police officers and Spanish soldiers escorted a large group of people on foot along a road\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/208d0701f36eec52f7b70e325b2b39b60397679b\/758_0_4583_3668\/master\/4583.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.16233907920576\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Police officers and Spanish soldiers escorting people in Ceuta to the border with Morocco on Saturday morning.<\/span> Photograph: Jon Nazca\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"384c8dd2-34d5-424e-aa89-0cb68fc84d45\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Police officers and Spanish soldiers escorting people in Ceuta to the border with Morocco on Saturday morning.<\/span> Photograph: Jon Nazca\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Spanish PM calls for urgent EU meeting after \u2018selfish\u2019 responses to Ceuta crisis<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Pedro S\u00e1nchez hits out at \u2018polarising and unlawful reaction\u2019 over mass crossing into Spanish enclave in north Africa<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/aug\/01\/ukraine-russia-zelenskyy-spain-france-wildfires-climate-heatwave-ceuta-morocco\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Europe live \u2013 latest updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Spain\u2019s prime minister, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/pedro-s-nchez\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Pedro S\u00e1nchez<\/a>, has called for an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers after what he called some member states\u2019 \u201cselfish, polarising and unlawful reaction\u201d to this week\u2019s mass border crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, in north Africa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">More than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/31\/ceuta-spain-morocco-border-deaths\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">50,000 people crossed into the territory from Morocco<\/a> on Thursday and Friday, with at least 67 people dying in the attempt. Some drowned, while others were crushed as they tried to cross a breakwater barrier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Although more than 48,000 people had voluntarily returned to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/morocco\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Morocco<\/a> by 6pm on Friday, the influx triggered a political crisis for the Madrid government and led some fellow EU countries to call for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen free-movement zone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Italy announced on Friday evening that it would suspend its Schengen arrangements with Spain, even though Ceuta \u2013 and Spain\u2019s other north African enclave, Melilla \u2013 are subject to special Schengen rules that prevent onward movement within the zone.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"ad5bcf36-69e5-4d28-a2b1-96000b0d39f3\" class=\"element element-interactive element--inline element-inline dcr-1uqv7sk\" data-alt=\"Map showing location of Ceuta in Mediterranean region, and another showing location of Tarajal breakwater on border between Ceuta and Morocco\" data-testid=\"interactive-element-Map%20showing%20location%20of%20Ceuta%20in%20Mediterranean%20region,%20and%20another%20showing%20location%20of%20Tarajal%20breakwater%20on%20border%20between%20Ceuta%20and%20Morocco\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1x767ir\"><\/div>\n<p><a data-name=\"placeholder\" href=\"https:\/\/interactive.guim.co.uk\/uploader\/embed\/2026\/07\/spain_ceuta\/giv-32554F90BJmAteSaJ\/\" class=\"dcr-olkhl1\">Map showing location of Ceuta in Mediterranean region, and another showing location of Tarajal breakwater on border between Ceuta and Morocco<\/a><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Italy\u2019s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, blamed the situation in Ceuta on the S\u00e1nchez government\u2019s decision to offer a now-closed scheme <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jun\/30\/million-migrants-spain-apply-regularise-status-new-scheme\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">to regularise the status<\/a> of more than 1 million undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. He said the programme had incentivised human trafficking and was \u201cprofoundly wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Tajani\u2019s remarks prompted a sharp response from Spain\u2019s foreign minister, Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares, who said the comments were \u201cunbecoming\u201d and accused Italy of \u201cpartisan demagoguery\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">S\u00e1nchez was equally forthright in a letter sent to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council president, Ant\u00f3nio Costa, and Miche\u00e1l Martin, the prime minister of Ireland, which holds the EU presidency.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"d39aa74e-5ad1-4f65-b7ea-190ecc733ca2\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pedro S\u00e1nchez gestures as he speaks into a microphone at a lectern\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/88116d6107a46b4a00a6b80de55b274b77b8363a\/0_0_4000_2660\/master\/4000.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"295.925\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"d39aa74e-5ad1-4f65-b7ea-190ecc733ca2\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Pedro S\u00e1nchez speaking at a press conference in Ceuta on Friday.<\/span> Photograph: Borja Puig de la Bellacasa\/Moncloa handout\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the letter, the Spanish prime minister said he had been deeply concerned by the reaction some EU governments had shown to events in Ceuta.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">S\u00e1nchez said that while most had expressed support and solidarity, others had chosen to attack Spain and call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cSuch an attitude \u2013 driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance or political interest \u2013 is \u2026 contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In a pointed rebuke to Italy, he noted that Spain was \u201caccording to Frontex, one of the least porous external borders of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/eu\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">European Union<\/a>, with a number of irregular entries that is half that recorded, for example, in Italy in recent years (2021\u20132026)\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He concluded by saying the EU could not afford \u201cthis kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction\u201d and asked for an urgent video conference of EU interior ministers to address the issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Senior EU officials are due to meet on Saturday in a \u201cpolitical crisis response team\u201d convened by Ireland\u2019s presidency. The meeting is designed to help member states make clear responses using expert opinion.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\"><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-15\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1tr4stg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-12qa5gp\">\n<hr class=\"dcr-1cjdlyj\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-15\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"9ef2fb69-b081-42e2-afd5-70f846786230\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.YoutubeBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\">\n<div data-component=\"youtube-atom\" data-atom-id=\"bea789a9-578a-4983-8050-2a878ee77f8c\" data-video-id=\"ob9K0RFmJxY\" data-video-unique-id=\"ob9K0RFmJxY-16\">\n<div data-testid=\"youtube-sticky-ob9K0RFmJxY-16\" data-is-sticky=\"false\" class=\"dcr-0\">\n<div class=\"dcr-0\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1orj1f6\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"0\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-tj7a39\"><button data-testid=\"youtube-overlay-ob9K0RFmJxY-16\" aria-label=\"Play video: Tens of thousands of migrants cross into Spanish enclave Ceuta from Morocco - video\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-16xaxky\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tens of thousands of migrants cross into Spanish enclave Ceuta from Morocco - video\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/457b92dbbb6d234fdf54aa53ccccdf81f6f551be\/0_0_1920_1080\/1920.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" height=\"259\" width=\"460\" class=\"dcr-18dqxt1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-bdvwsb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aekkwd\"><span class=\"dcr-1f90r0x\">3:37<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"play-icon dcr-11ol26a\"><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-1hnminq\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Tens of thousands of migrants cross into Spanish enclave Ceuta from Morocco &#8211; video<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Ireland\u2019s justice minister, Jim O\u2019Callaghan, who is leading the meeting on behalf of the EU, said he had been in touch with Spain\u2019s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to express his solidarity and support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cI will remain in close contact with the Spanish government, member states and the EU institutions as the situation evolves,\u201d he said on Friday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Many of the remaining people who crossed into Ceuta returned to Morocco on Saturday morning amid a reinforced Spanish police and military presence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe hope to go to Europe to work and earn a living \u2013 that\u2019s it,\u201d Souleil Boyan, a 19-year-old from Senegal, told Agence France-Presse outside a migrant centre in Ceuta where dozens of other people from sub-Saharan Africa were waiting for officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe all know that in Africa there isn\u2019t much opportunity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Spanish government said in a statement that the situation in Ceuta remained calm and quiet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cFriday night passed without incident,\u201d it said. \u201cEntries were completely halted, while departures to Morocco continued without any notable events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It said containment barriers were being installed at the Tarajal beach breakwater, including a 500-metre-long inflatable barrier and a line of anchored buoys.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/spain\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Spain<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/europe-news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Europe<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/eu\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">European Union<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/morocco\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Morocco<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/migration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Migration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/pedro-s-nchez\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Pedro S\u00e1nchez<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Spanish%20PM%20calls%20for%20urgent%20EU%20meeting%20after%20%E2%80%98selfish%E2%80%99%20responses%20to%20Ceuta%20crisis&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/01\/spain-pedro-sanchez-calls-for-eu-meeting-ceuta-border-crossing?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Faug%2F01%2Fspain-pedro-sanchez-calls-for-eu-meeting-ceuta-border-crossing&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/aug\/01\/spain-pedro-sanchez-calls-for-eu-meeting-ceuta-border-crossing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Police officers and Spanish soldiers escorting people in Ceuta to the border with Morocco on Saturday morning. Photograph: Jon Nazca\/Reuters View image in fullscreen Police officers and Spanish soldiers escorting &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2915\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}