Spain blasts EU allies' 'selfish' reaction to Ceuta crisis: 'Prejudice, misinformation'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused some European allies of mounting a "selfish, polarizing and unlawful" response to the migration crisis in his country's African enclave Ceuta, saying calls to suspend Spain from the Schengen area were fueled by "prejudice, fake news, ignorance or political interest." Between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta from neighboring Morocco over the past few days, but the majority have now returned, Spain's interior ministry said. The death toll had climbed to 67 by Saturday, some drowning and others dying in a stampede near a breakwater, the Spanish government said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined leaders from 22 other countries in calling for an emergency meeting and coordinated measures to strengthen the EU's external borders, combat smuggling networks and accelerate migrant returns. Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, blamed Spain's recently closed regularization program for undocumented migrants, saying it had encouraged human trafficking, an assertion rejected by Madrid.

France, meanwhile, rejected calls to suspend Spain from Schengen. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said such a step was "absolutely out of the question," emphasizing continued security cooperation between Paris and Madrid even as France reinforced checks along its southern border.