EU Leaders Turn on Spain as Migrant Crisis Exposes Deep Divisions

Within hours of images showing thousands of migrants swimming from Morocco to Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on 30 July, 22 European Union leaders, the Trump administration, and Israel had publicly criticised Madrid. The rapid escalation became a case study in 21st-century politics. Real-time images spread through a media echo chamber, where populist voices set the agenda on migration, fueling fear, prejudice, and extreme proposals. The backlash undermined trust between European allies. It also set back EU efforts to manage migration jointly, fight people-smuggling, and resist the use of migrants as a political tool by non-EU countries. The incident showed how easily a single event can divide Europe. Leaders in Moscow and Ankara will have taken note. *Paul Taylor is a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre.*