{"id":25107,"date":"2026-08-02T11:30:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25107"},"modified":"2026-08-02T11:30:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:30:59","slug":"spain-prime-minister-pedro-sanchez-blasts-eu-leaders-over-restored-border-controls-after-ceuta-migrant-breach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=25107","title":{"rendered":"Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez blasts EU leaders over restored border controls after Ceuta migrant breach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2Fnewspress-collage-8amfdn7sf-1785651065540.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261785636752\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/fed-up-spaniards-lash-out-at-socialist-prime-minister-after-migrant-invasion\/\">Spanish\u00a0Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez<\/a> broadly blasted fellow European leaders for their response to the surge of tens of thousands of migrants from <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/01\/world-news\/spain-installing-containment-fence-on-ceutas-border-with-morocco-following-massive-frontier-rush-that-killed-67\/\">Morocco to the Spanish border,<\/a> seemingly criticizing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for deciding to resume European border controls in the wake of the incident.<\/p>\n<p>S\u00e1nchez appeared to take issue with\u00a0Italy\u2019s\u00a0decision to temporarily suspend Schengen Area free-travel arrangements with Spain.<\/p>\n<p>The Schengen Area is an agreement between 29 European countries that abolishes passport controls and allows people to travel across European borders without providing documents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction,\u201d S\u00e1nchez said in a letter obtained by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) newswire.<\/p>\n<p>S\u00e1nchez, who leads the Spanish Socialist Workers\u2019 Party, touted his country\u2019s quick turnaround in expelling nearly all of the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/30\/world-news\/thousands-of-migrants-rush-spanish-border-prompting-call-for-national-emergency-absolute-chaos\/\">50,000-60,000 migrants<\/a> who crossed the border back to Morocco.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite these indisputable facts,\u201d S\u00e1nchez wrote, \u201cthe reaction of European governments over the past few hours has been rather asymmetric. Most have showed us their support and solidarity, and have offered their assistance. Others, however, have chosen to attack Spain and to call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Thousands of African migrants illegally crossed the Moroccan border into the Spanish exclave Ceuta. <span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks in Ceuta, Spain, after the immigrant invasion in the exclave on July 31, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks in Rome, Italy, on July 20, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Stefano Carofei\/Sintesi\/SIPA\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSuch an attitude \u2014 driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest \u2014 is not only contrary to European law, humanitarian law, and the principles of solidarity that bind us together,\u201d he reportedly wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is also contrary to Europe\u2019s long-term interests and to the most basic common sense, because Ceuta is not part of the Schengen Area, because there are almost no irregular migrants left unreturned, and because Spain is, according to Frontex, one of the least porous external borders of the European Union, with a number of irregular entries that is half that recorded, for example, in Italy in recent years (2021\u20132026).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>S\u00e1nchez additionally requested a formal meeting of the interior ministers of all 27 European Union countries in the letter, which was addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Ant\u00f3nio Costa and Irish Prime Minister Miche\u00e1l Martin.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland is serving its one-year term as the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>S\u00e1nchez\u2019s request followed a mass stampede of migrants from Morocco into the\u00a0Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which shares a land <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/spain-claims-25000-african-migrants-already-sent-home-as-authorities-expel-150-people-per-minute\/\">border with Morocco in North Africa.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/thousands-of-illegal-african-migrants-overrun-spanish-enclave-turn-streets-into-open-toilets-and-bathe-in-fountains-an-apocalypse\/\">50,000 to 60,000 people illegally<\/a> rushed over the border into European territory, according to Spanish local and national authorities.<\/p>\n<p>The shocking footage of the flood of people prompted a worldwide response, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/trump-warns-spain-migrant-catastrophe-would-look-small-time-if-dems-regain-power\/\">including from\u00a0President Donald Trump.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Migrants stand outside the fence between Morocco and Ceuta on Aug. 1, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/STR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spanish officers escort a large group of migrants who had illegally crossed into Spanish territory on Aug. 1, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meloni, a conservative, announced the signing of a letter by 22 EU countries calling for stronger borders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/at-least-18-migrants-die-trying-to-cross-morocco-spain-border-a-serious-humanitarian-crisis\/\">images arriving from Ceuta<\/a> have once again demonstrated how urgent it is for Europe to respond to\u00a0illegal immigration,\u201d Meloni wrote Saturday in a post on X.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is why Italy has promoted, together with Denmark, a letter signed by 22 EU member states, which calls for joint action to strengthen external borders, combat irregular immigration, fight human traffickers, make returns more effective, and eliminate any factor that could incentivize new illegal entries,\u201d Meloni added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Approximately 50,000 to 60,000 people illegally rushed over the border into European territory. <span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spanish soldiers detain a migrant after a mass crossing on foot and by sea into Ceuta, on Aug. 1, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt is an important signal: the line that Italy has long supported is today shared by an ever-growing number of European nation. Defending the external borders of the Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Irish Justice Minister Jim O\u2019Callaghan, as part of\u00a0Ireland\u2019s EU presidency, will convene a meeting of the EU\u2019s Justice and Home Affairs Council to respond to the crisis, Martin announced in a post on X Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Ceuta\u2019s President, Juan Jes\u00fas Vivas, said at least 60,000 people \u2014 about 70% of the territory\u2019s population \u2014 crossed over from Morocco. Spain\u2019s interior ministry released its own figures shortly after Vivas spoke Friday, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Pro-migrant protesters rally against a \u201cfar-right\u201d politician\u2019s arrival in Ceuta, Spain, on Aug. 1, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spanish soldiers control a group of migrants on their way back across the Moroccan border in the exclave of Ceuta on Aug. 1, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reviews security footage with the Civil Guard in Ceuta, Spain, on July 31, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It added <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/31\/world-news\/spain-says-migrants-are-fleeing-after-border-chaos-kills-57\/\">that 48,300 had already returned to Morocco<\/a> by Friday evening, with hundreds more going back by the hour.<\/p>\n<p>Von der Leyen claimed none of the migrants who crossed into Ceuta made it to the European mainland and that virtually all of them had returned to Morocco.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe good news is that the vast majority of those who arrived illegally have returned to Morocco, due to the effective work of Spanish and Moroccan law enforcement. Not a single person reached mainland Spain or the rest of the EU,\u201d she wrote in a Saturday morning post on X.<\/p>\n<p>At least 67 people were killed in the border rush. As a result, Spain announced it was installing a 500-meter barrier in the sea to combat future migration pushes.<\/p>\n<p>Fox News Digital contacted the offices of the Spanish, Italian and Irish prime ministers and the office of the European commissioner.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spanish\u00a0Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez broadly blasted fellow European leaders for their response to the surge of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco to the Spanish border, seemingly criticizing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for deciding to resume European border controls in the wake of the incident. S\u00e1nchez appeared to take issue with\u00a0Italy\u2019s\u00a0decision to temporarily&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/newspress-collage-8amfdn7sf-1785651065540.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1785636752&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}