Spain’s migration policy came under renewed scrutiny at a European Council summit in Brussels, where Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected criticism from several European leaders over his government’s handling of irregular migration and plans to regularise the status of undocumented migrants.
Speaking on Friday, Sanchez argued that the criticism did not reflect the evidence on Spain’s efforts to control irregular arrivals, manage legal migration and cooperate with countries of origin and transit. He dismissed claims that his government’s approach was encouraging illegal migration, saying the figures presented a different picture from the political arguments being made against Spain.
“If you look at the facts, at the figures, which is kind of always what happens with the far right, it’s like night and day,” Sanchez said in Brussels. “What is being said has nothing to do with reality (…) one thing is the blah, blah, blah and another is reality.”
The dispute centres partly on Spain’s plan to regularise the status of an estimated 600,000 undocumented migrants, a proposal that has prompted concerns among several EU governments about its possible effects on migration across the bloc.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker have all questioned aspects of Spain’s approach. Their objections reflect wider disagreements among European governments over national migration policies, border controls and the extent to which decisions made by one member state could affect others.
Sanchez drew a distinction between his disagreements with Frederiksen and the criticism from Babis, whose remarks he compared with the rhetoric of Spain’s far-right Vox party.
“With the Danish prime minister we have disagreements, but indeed, it has nothing to do with what the prime minister of the Czech Republic said, which, by the way, sounds very much like what the far-right Vox says in Spain,” he said.
Babis accused some European leaders of seeking to “replace the population” to remain in power. He also warned that the Czech Republic could tighten border controls to prevent migrants from entering from other EU countries.
Austria’s Stocker described Spain’s regularisation plan as a “bad signal”, arguing that it could have consequences beyond Spain’s borders. Frederiksen, meanwhile, called on the European Commission to examine the implications of the measures.
Sanchez defended his government’s record by pointing to interceptions of migrant boats in the Atlantic, returns of migrants and refusals of entry at airports. He also disputed the suggestion that Spain was a significant route for migrants moving onwards within the European Union.
“The reality, the data show that Spain is pursuing a very responsible policy in the fight against irregular migration, in managing regular migration flows and in cooperation with transit and origin countries,” he said.
The Spanish prime minister also defended the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which he said was working. The agreement was secured during Spain’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Sanchez urged member states to continue implementing the common framework.
He argued that Europe needed to accommodate different political positions while maintaining cooperation on migration, a policy area that has repeatedly exposed divisions between national governments.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for progress on implementing the pact, placing particular emphasis on external border management and the EU’s ability to respond to sudden increases in irregular arrivals.
Von der Leyen said irregular crossings of the bloc’s external borders had fallen by more than 56% over the previous two years. She identified three priorities for European migration policy: full implementation of the migration and asylum pact, stronger management and protection of external borders, and better preparation for potential border crises.
She also announced that the European Commission would propose strengthening Frontex, the EU agency responsible for supporting member states in managing external borders. The aim is to increase the agency’s capacity to assist national authorities when needed.
Von der Leyen stressed that responsibility and solidarity between member states must go hand in hand, while acknowledging that further work was required.
“To succeed, it is necessary to continue acting together,” she said.
The debate over Spain’s plan also shaped negotiations on the conclusions of the Brussels summit. Denmark, Poland and Italy pushed for language that would indirectly address the proposed regularisation of undocumented migrants, while Spain and France opposed the changes.
A revised draft seen by Euronews urged EU member states to avoid “measures that may create incentives for illegal migration”. It also called on the European Commission to improve coordination between national migration policies that could have consequences for other member states.
The proposed wording was ultimately rejected in favour of a shorter and less forceful version, reflecting the difficulty of reaching a common position among governments with different approaches to migration.
French President Emmanuel Macron backed Spain during the dispute, warning that ideological divisions were undermining the EU’s ability to respond effectively to migration challenges.
“We have had a bad debate,” Macron said after the summit. “My assessment is that when we politicise this debate at the table, we create divisions. And when we are divided and fall back on national solutions, we become ineffective.”
Macron also described the situation in Ceuta as a “humanitarian tragedy” and said France had not signed a letter sent to Brussels by 22 EU countries. He characterised the events as a “hybrid attack” against Spain, adding that European leaders should have recognised the nature of the situation earlier.
The exchanges in Brussels highlighted a central disagreement within the EU: how far individual countries can go in setting their own migration policies without affecting the wider bloc. While some governments want closer scrutiny of national measures and stronger external border controls, Spain and France have argued for cooperation without turning migration into a source of deeper political division.
