Spain accuses Italy of failing on migration after Ceuta crisis, Rome fires back with numbers

The Ceuta trigger

On 30 July, at least 50,000 people crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta by sea and land in a single day, according to Spanish government estimates. The mass arrival was described by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares as "an unprecedented event." He attributed the surge largely to disinformation circulating online, which he said "was the key element in triggering this movement." Madrid moved quickly with Moroccan cooperation, and within 48 hours most of those who entered were returned to Morocco.

The will of Morocco is that every last migrant returns to Morocco.

Albares called the rapid returns "also unprecedented" and praised Rabat's collaboration. He urged the EU to support Spain in managing "the enormous specificity of the only land border Europe has with Africa, the most unequal border on the planet."

Diplomatic broadside

On the eve of an EU interior ministers' meeting, Albares used an interview with Spanish public television to attack Italy's migration record. He said "there have been governments that were not up to the task" and that "the Italian government was one of them." He accused Rome of taking "irresponsible" positions and pointed to "repetitive crises" on Lampedusa that Italy "is not capable of resolving."

Italy has been absolutely inundated with irregular immigrants, while Spain has always been solidary, politically and in deeds.

Albares insisted that Spain is the Mediterranean EU country with the lowest number of irregular arrivals, while Italy has the highest. The remarks followed similar criticism from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over the weekend.

Italy's rebuttal

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani responded sharply on social media. He defended the decision to suspend Schengen for arrivals from Spain, calling it "in line with the Treaties and the right one," and noted it was backed by 21 European countries. Tajani also highlighted that among the Ceuta arrivals, more than 5,000 are from sub-Saharan Africa and cannot be returned to Morocco.

I am not answering the Spanish foreign minister, the figures are.

Tajani said irregular migrants in Italy have decreased by 60% year-on-year since 2023, and landings from January to July 2026 are down 80% compared with the same period in 2023. Irregular sea arrivals up to 15 July 2026 totalled 15,323, a drop of 54% from 2025 and 50% from 2024. He credited bilateral agreements with eight countries of origin and transit.

The numbers behind the dispute

Frontex data, cited by multiple outlets, shows that the central Mediterranean route remains the main entry point to the EU. In 2025, 66,562 people arrived via that route, while the two routes toward Spain recorded 36,775. For the first half of 2026, Italy registered 15,323 sea arrivals and Spain 14,479, as of 15 July. EU-wide irregular border crossings fell 40% in the first five months of 2026, continuing a downward trend.

Mortality on the central route has risen sharply: 12 people die per day on average, a 150% increase in 2026 compared with the previous year.

EU steps in

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to Sánchez outlining five priority areas: preventing irregular arrivals through cooperation with third countries, strengthening external borders, implementing alert systems, dismantling trafficker networks, and reinforcing returns. She noted that irregular arrivals across the EU dropped 55% over the past two years and 37% this year, and said the Ceuta incident should be treated as a lesson.

Together, Europeans can improve their resilience, their preparedness, their response.

What's next

The EU interior ministers meet on 4 August with the Ceuta crisis and broader migration policy on the agenda. Albares has called for "unity of all political forces and all Europeans around Ceuta and Melilla," while Tajani insists the Schengen suspension is justified and that Italy's approach is working. The clash underscores deep divisions over burden-sharing as arrivals continue.