EU erupts in diplomatic row as 22 nations demand border crackdown after 50,000 migrants enter Ceuta

The Ceuta influx

On 31 July and 1 August, around 50,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. Within 48 hours, the vast majority had returned voluntarily to Morocco, according to Madrid. The Guardia Civil recovered 84 bodies, confirming the deadly toll of the crossing attempts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that no migrant had reached mainland Spain or other EU countries.

A 22-nation diplomatic push

Italy and Denmark swiftly circulated a letter to EU leaders, gathering signatures from 22 member states including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Poland and Sweden. France, Portugal and Luxembourg did not sign. The letter demanded an urgent videoconference of interior ministers, stronger external border controls, a crackdown on traffickers, more effective returns, and the elimination of "pull factors" such as mass regularisations. It explicitly cited Spain's recent regularisation of 500,000 migrants and a Supreme Court ruling limiting pushbacks as incentives for irregular entries.

The images from Ceuta have once again shown how urgent a European response to illegal immigration is. That is why Italy, together with Denmark, promoted a letter signed by 22 EU member states calling for joint action to strengthen external borders, combat irregular immigration, fight human traffickers, make returns more effective and eliminate any factor that could encourage new illegal entries.

Von der Leyen accepted the request and scheduled the videoconference for Tuesday 4 August.

Spain's furious rebuttal

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez fired back with his own letter to EU institutions, denouncing the "selfish, polarising and illegal reaction of some European partners" who had "chosen to attack Spain and demand its temporary exclusion from the Schengen area." He described the attitude as "fueled by prejudices, fake news, ignorance or political interests," contrary to EU law, humanitarian law and solidarity. Sánchez pointed out that, according to Frontex, Spain has one of the least permeable external borders, with irregular entries half those recorded in Italy over the 2021–2026 period. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called the Italian stance instrumental and selfish, recalling how Italy itself had pleaded for European unity during the 2023 Lampedusa crisis.

Italy's broader agenda: return hubs and Schengen suspension

Rome used the crisis to push its long-standing proposal for EU-funded "return hubs" in third countries, modelled on its controversial centres in Albania. The centres in Shëngjin and Gjadër have cost over €140 million so far, with total projected spending around €650 million, but have processed only a trickle of migrants against an initial estimate of 36,000 per year. Italy also announced a one-month suspension of Schengen at its ports and airports, a move Madrid called disproportionate. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi will present the return hub plan and a strict implementation of the GSP+ trade-and-readmission linkage at the Tuesday videocall.

Conspiracy claims and political fallout

Italian left-wing leader Nicola Fratoianni alleged the Ceuta surge was a "premeditated attack" designed to destabilise Spain because of Sánchez's opposition to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and to what he called Trump's "illegal war" against Iran. He cited three clues: fake news circulating before the crossings promising open borders and regularisation; Morocco's role as Israel's main regional ally with recent US funding; and Moroccan police turning a blind eye. Fratoianni also noted that Elon Musk posted an AI-generated video comparing the scenes to a zombie invasion, while right-wing parties across Europe shouted "invasion." The crisis has sharpened ideological fault lines ahead of upcoming elections in several EU countries.