European leaders call for Spain’s Schengen suspension after Ceuta border collapse
Italy imposes month-long controls as Finland says countries that fail to protect Europe’s external borders cannot remain in free-travel zone
European leaders on Friday condemned Spain’s handling of the mass border breach in Ceuta, with Italy, Finland, Denmark and Czechia calling for Madrid’s suspension from Europe’s Schengen free-travel area.
The backlash followed the illegal entry of more than 50,000 people from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave within about 24 hours, overwhelming local authorities and forcing Madrid to deploy troops. At least 67 people were killed while attempting the crossing, according to the latest official toll.
Italy went further than any other European government, introducing targeted checks for one month on non-EU nationals arriving from Spain by air or sea. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the move as an extraordinary measure needed to protect national security and prevent the crisis from spilling into Italy.
Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen backed Meloni’s earlier proposal to exclude Spain from Schengen, saying Madrid had “completely failed” to protect the bloc’s external border. Countries that failed to meet that obligation could not remain in the free-movement area, she said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the EU should consider all available options, including suspending Schengen cooperation with Spain, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also joined calls to suspend Madrid’s membership. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stopped short of supporting exclusion but warned that Spain would have to tighten its asylum laws and border defenses “if Schengen is to survive.”
Austria and Slovenia were among 22 European governments that signed a joint letter warning that the events in Ceuta had undermined confidence in the EU’s common migration policy. The letter blamed rules obstructing rapid deportations and the mass regularization of people residing illegally in Europe for creating the impression that unlawful entry could ultimately lead to legal residence.
The signatories, who also included Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Greece and several Central and Eastern European states, demanded an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers. They said governments were prepared to reinforce or reintroduce internal border controls if there was evidence of unauthorized onward movement from Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hit back on Saturday, denouncing what he called the “selfish, polarising and unlawful” response of some European governments. Madrid said virtually all those who entered Ceuta had either returned to Morocco or remained confined to the enclave, preventing unauthorized movement into mainland Spain or the rest of Europe.