Pedro Sánchez says criticism is "driven by prejudice" on migrant policy

After tens of thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta and were quickly returned, European Union governments split over how to respond. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, faced criticism from Italy, Denmark, and 20 other member states, who blamed his decision to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants for drawing new arrivals. Sánchez rejected the accusations as grounded in misinformation and political self-interest, arguing they violated EU law and shared solidarity obligations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote to Sánchez urging stronger border controls and praised Spain’s crisis management. EU interior ministers were scheduled to hold emergency talks.