Ceuta Migrant Crisis: EU States Accuse Spain of Creating Pull Factor

On July 31, 2022, 22 EU member states, led by Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Germany's Friedrich Merz, signed a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticizing Spain's migration policy. The letter claimed that Spain's 'legalization of a very large number of irregular migrants' created a 'pull factor' that caused the collapse of its borders in Africa. This followed the mass crossing of up to 60,000 migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Only four EU governments did not assign primary responsibility to Spain. The crisis appears to have been planned long in advance. The letter was a response to Spain's handling of the situation, which the signatories argue has encouraged further migration. The event highlights tensions within the EU over migration policy and border control.