The massive crossing of migrants at the border between Ceuta and Morocco has transcended the national level and has become a European problem. Far from showing unity, Spain's partners have not agreed with Spain's migration policy, leading to a diplomatic crisis with Italy and France.
The country led by Giorgia Meloni announced yesterday that they would consider closing their Schengen area with Spain as a measure to contain the possible entry of migrants following their arrival in Ceuta. European countries can unilaterally make this decision in response to an emerging threat. However, the decision and the way it was announced did not sit well with the government.
The Italian president stated: "Italy will not stand idly by. We are convening the relevant bodies, and at the end of these meetings, we are prepared to intervene with extraordinary measures to defend the borders and the security of citizens, such as suspending the Schengen area with Spain." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani went further, stating that "the images coming from Ceuta demonstrate how the decision of the Madrid government to grant Spanish, and therefore European, citizenship to more than 500,000 irregular immigrants is profoundly wrong and encourages human trafficking."
This reaction and the words of Italian politicians angered the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, who described his Italian counterpart's statement on social media as "improper for the Foreign Minister of a partner and friend country from whom we expect European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery." Albares then announced that he had summoned the Italian ambassador to Spain, Giuseppe Buccino, as a diplomatic tool to express discontent over the events.
Furthermore, to reinforce the government's position, convinced that the migrants' influx is due to the court ruling that prohibits "hot returns," the Office of Diplomatic Information sent a three-paragraph text after ten o'clock on Thursday night stating that "this crisis in Ceuta has nothing to do with the regularization of migrants approved by the Spanish government, as falsely claimed by some. It is false that anyone who has crossed in these days can benefit from this process since it requires very specific requirements, such as proving residence in Spain before January 1, 2026, and having stayed in Spain for 5 continuous months at the time of applying."
They also reiterated that "this crisis stems from an interpretation of the Supreme Court's decision that prohibits the return of people who enter by swimming, which has been exploited by mafias and criminal organizations to take advantage of the extreme vulnerability of migrant individuals." Despite the Moroccan police's passivity in responding to the influx of people, they insisted that "the relationship with Morocco is excellent and coordination on migration and other areas remains very intense. Both countries have agreed on mechanisms for returning migrants who have illegally crossed the border." To ensure the message reached a wider audience, it was also sent in English, something not usually done by the OID.
Despite Albares's quick response to try to curb criticism from partners, other friendly countries of Spain have also blamed the government's management for the massive influx of people. Thus, Michel Barnier, former French Prime Minister, calls for "turning [European migration] legislation into action: anyone found illegally and without legal right to stay must be effectively returned." He also states that "France cannot bear the consequences of its neighbors' migration policies. If a member state makes decisions that create a pull factor for irregular migration, we must be able to immediately protect our borders, particularly with Spain."
Subsequently, Laurent Nuñez, French Interior Minister, posted on his X account informing that "in light of the situation observed in the enclave of Ceuta, I have, since last night, given instructions to promptly reinforce controls at the Spanish border. Additionally, I am activating the Rapid Intervention Border Force for in-depth controls."