Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez strongly criticised the attitude of some European Union countries in the face of the mass migration crisis in Ceuta, on the border with Morocco, and called for an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers. Sanchez described this stance as 'selfish, polarising and unlawful'.
In letters sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and the EU presidency holder Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Sanchez used the expressions: 'Such a stance shaped by prejudice, fake news, ignorance or political interest runs counter to European law, humanitarian law and the solidarity principles that bind us together.'
On Thursday and Friday, more than 50,000 people crossed from Morocco into Spain's autonomous city of Ceuta. At least 67 people died while trying to break through a harbour breakwater barrier, and authorities confirmed that by Friday evening more than 48,000 had voluntarily returned to Morocco.
The events have turned into a political crisis for the Spanish government. Some EU countries raised the issue, calling for Spain to be excluded from the Schengen free movement area. In this process, Italy became the first country to suspend the Schengen arrangement with Spain.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani accused Madrid of encouraging human trafficking by implementing a plan to legalise the status of more than one million refugees and asylum seekers. The Spanish Foreign Minister rejected the claim, describing it as 'partisan populism'.