Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has sharply criticised Spain's decision to regularise undocumented migrants, calling it a "very bad idea" that could steer Europe toward a migration crisis comparable to 2015.
The Spanish programme could resolve the administrative status of roughly 1.2 million people. Kristersson warned that the measure harms Sweden in particular, arguing it allows those migrants to move freely across the Schengen area and that many heading to Europe prefer northern destinations. Sweden received more than 160,000 asylum seekers in 2015, though applications fell to 6,700 last year, the lowest figure in nearly three decades, with a national election set for 13 September.
The remarks followed a surge of tens of thousands of migrants toward the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, most of whom were returned to Morocco. Separately, the prime ministers of Italy and Denmark, Giorgia Meloni and Mette Frederiksen, issued a joint statement linking uncontrolled immigration to crime and strained public services.