Czech, Austrian and Danish leaders attack Spain's migrant regularisation at EU summit

Leaders target Spain's regularisation

Several EU leaders used a coordination meeting before the second day of the European Council in Brussels on 16 October 2026 to criticise Spain's migration policy, according to diplomatic sources who described the tone as harsh. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez did not attend that meeting. The criticism then moved into public remarks as leaders arrived at the summit, focused on the mass regularisation of migrants carried out by Sánchez's government. El Confidencial reported that the group includes the Italian and Danish prime ministers, along with leaders from Austria and Sweden. Sánchez and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen both belong to the Party of European Socialists, a detail El Mundo highlighted as the pair held a private conversation before the summit that was described as serious.

Babis's remarks on Spain

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis was the most forceful critic. He accused some leaders of being willing to replace the population to remain in government, and tied the remark to what he called happening in Spain. He also criticised the Netherlands, where he said migrants have more priority than Dutch citizens for housing, and Sweden, where he questioned the presence of lawmakers of Somali origin. He accused the mayor of Berlin of maintaining contacts with Hamas. Babis warned that the Czech Republic may have to defend its borders against migrants arriving from Western European states, and said his government is preparing new measures to decide who can live and work in the country. Asked whether his government would join the non-EU return hubs pushed by several member states, he avoided a clear answer, but backed tougher action against trafficking networks, including seizing their assets and destroying empty boats. El Confidencial noted that his remark echoed a conspiracy theory that Sánchez's regularisation aims to win votes from the legalised migrants, while voting rights in general elections depend on nationality rather than legal residence.

Frederiksen and Stocker add pressure

Frederiksen asked the European Commission to examine cases in which one country does practically the opposite of the others and lets people who entered illegally stay. She argued that this runs against a migration policy backed by a broad majority in Europe. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said Spain had sent a bad signal with the legalisation of many migrants, and added that Europe works to combat illegal immigration. Italy's Giorgia Meloni avoided a direct public clash with Sánchez. Their meeting on the margins of the summit on 15 October 2026 produced an agreement to extend Italy's temporary controls on connections with Spain by seven days, so that they could be withdrawn in coordination with Madrid. El País reported that both countries agreed to end the controls on ports and airports that Rome imposed and Madrid replicated after the Ceuta crisis, and that interior ministers will work throughout the week of 16 October 2026 to remove them. Italy had introduced its restrictions in early August, after more than two months of tension between the two governments.

Ceuta and the summit agenda

The debate is framed by a mass and sudden arrival of migrants in Ceuta in late July 2026. The leaders were not expected to approve new specific measures. Instead, they planned a strategic discussion on how Europe should face migration in the future. Five countries, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Greece, are building new deportation centres inspired by Meloni's arrangement in Albania. Spain's government welcomed preliminary summit conclusions that refer to the particular situation of Ceuta and Melilla and express solidarity with Spain over the sudden influx of migrants. El Mundo reported that Italy wants to voice opposition to certain decisions that could cause unwanted consequences, rather than attack a country, and that Sánchez was expected to receive solidarity from his counterparts during the debate.