Sánchez slams Europe's lack of solidarity over Ceuta in letter to von der Leyen

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has lamented what he describes as a lack of European solidarity over the Ceuta crisis in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which he points to misinformation, prejudice and petty politics.

The letter, sent on Saturday and seen by Euronews, comes after Sánchez described the arrival of 50,000 migrants from Morocco in Ceuta in a single day, after the double-fenced border was breached, as an "attack" and a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity".

In the strongly worded letter, Sánchez describes the response from some EU partners as "rather asymmetric".

While breaches of national borders are always swiftly condemned by member states and often portrayed as hybrid attacks, several EU countries instead called for tighter controls on Spain, urging Madrid to restore order rather than expressing solidarity.

"Most have shown us their support and solidarity, and have offered their assistance," the Spanish premier writes in the letter.

"Others, however, have chosen to attack Spain and to call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area," he continued, in an apparent reference to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, which on Friday announced it would suspend freedom of movement with Spain, even as migrants were returning to Morocco.

It remains unclear what the measure would mean in practice.

Sánchez also appeared to hit back at Italy over irregular migration, arguing in the letter that Spain has "one of the least porous external borders of the European Union," citing Frontex data.

"In the current international context, the European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction," he added.