COPENHAGEN — Nordic leaders are piling pressure on the European Union to convene an emergency response after some 50,000 migrants crossed into Spain's Ceuta enclave from Morocco in recent days.
A letter signed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni requests a video meeting of EU interior ministers, addressed to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares that consistent action on migration flows is necessary and wrote on Facebook that Spain bears a heavy responsibility for securing the EU's external border. Sweden's Integration Minister Simona Mohamsson called the situation a crisis for all of Europe.
The diplomatic friction deepened after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned what he called a selfish stance by certain EU countries. Swedish politician Jimmie Åkesson wrote on X that Spain should be excluded from the Schengen zone and that borders against Spain should close immediately. Ceuta's leader said about 60,000 people had arrived in the enclave of 83,000 residents, though roughly 48,000 had returned to Morocco by late Friday.