Sanchez rejects criticism of Spain’s migration policy: ‘Words do not match reality’

Sanchez Rejects Criticism of Spain’s Migration Policy

Poinews.com – Sanchez rejects criticism of Spain’s migration policy, saying claims made by some European leaders do not match the facts. Speaking at the European Council summit in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his government’s approach to irregular arrivals, legal migration and cooperation with countries of origin and transit.

Sánchez argued that migration data tell a very different story from the rhetoric used by far-right politicians. He said Spain has pursued a responsible policy while European governments work to implement the EU migration and asylum pact.

“What is being said has nothing to do with reality (…) one thing is the blah, blah, blah and another is reality.”

European leaders challenge Spain’s regularisation plan

The dispute focuses partly on Spain’s plan to regularise the status of 600,000 undocumented migrants. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker have raised concerns about the policy and its potential impact across the European Union.

Babiš accused some European leaders of seeking to “replace the population” to stay in power and suggested the Czech Republic could consider tighter border controls to stop migrants arriving from other EU countries.

Sanchez rejects criticism of Spain while drawing a distinction between policy disagreements and far-right rhetoric. He said his differences with Frederiksen were legitimate political disagreements, unlike the language used by Babiš, which 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.”

Stocker called Spain’s regularisation proposal a “bad signal,” arguing that decisions by one member state can affect the entire bloc. Frederiksen has called on the European Commission to assess the consequences of Spain’s measures.

Spain cites enforcement and international cooperation

Sánchez said Spain has made progress against unauthorised migration through interceptions in the Atlantic, returns and refusals of entry at airports. He also highlighted cooperation with countries of origin and transit as a central part of the government’s strategy.

“The migration and asylum pact that we secured under the Spanish presidency is working.”

The Spanish leader described his country as a “model pupil” in tackling irregular immigration and rejected suggestions that Spain is a major route for migrants moving onward through the EU. He said the government is balancing enforcement with the management of regular migration flows.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also urged member states to speed up implementation of the migration and asylum pact. She said irregular crossings at the EU’s external borders had fallen by more than 56% over the previous two years.

Von der Leyen identified three priorities: fully applying the pact, strengthening management and security at external borders, and improving preparedness for potential border emergencies. The debate over Spain’s policy underlines the difficulty of coordinating national migration decisions within a border-free European Union.

FAQ: Spain’s migration policy

Why is Spain’s migration policy being criticised? Critics are concerned that Spain’s plan to regularise undocumented migrants could have consequences beyond its borders, particularly if people later move to other EU countries.

What is Sánchez’s response? Sánchez says the criticism ignores Spain’s record on irregular migration controls, legal migration management and cooperation with partner countries.

What role does the EU migration pact play? The pact is intended to improve shared responsibility, external-border management and preparedness among EU member states. Sánchez and von der Leyen have both called for its faster implementation.