Migrant surge exposes EU divide

The recent wave of migrants into Spain's Ceuta has triggered humanitarian and border-control emergency measures by Spain and other European countries, while it has also laid bare a widening rift among European Union member states over migration policy, experts said.

The incident, which led to more than 80 deaths, has underscored how the politicization of the migration issue is eroding the bloc's capacity for coordinated action on this persistent challenge, with long-term solutions remaining elusive, they said.

Ceuta, one of Spain's two enclaves on the North African coast, became the flashpoint when tens of thousands of migrants attempted to cross the border on July 30, overwhelming local border control agencies.

While Spain quickly repatriated most arrivals, easing immediate pressure, Italy announced a one-month suspension of Schengen free movement rules with Spain after the migrant surge, even though the rules do not apply to Ceuta. And 22 of 27 EU countries backed a joint call for firmer action against illegal immigration, suggesting Spain's migration policies were part of the problem.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed "serious concerns" about some European governments, saying that while most had shown "support and solidarity", other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, "driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest".

Experts said that the varied national responses reflect a widening gulf in member states' interests regarding migration issues.

Dong Yifan, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Country and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, described the Ceuta crisis as "tearing a rift in EU unity and policy consensus".

He said that Spain's left-wing government, which acknowledges the benefits of legal migration for its economy and labor market, now stands as a "counter-current" against a broader rightward shift in European migration policy.

Dong argued that the surge in migrant flows along the western Mediterranean route has prompted several EU nations to prioritize domestic politics over collective values. "To deflect internal contradictions and project an image of protecting their own citizens, some countries have ignored EU solidarity and policy coordination, using the opportunity to criticize Spain," he said.

Beyond differing national interests, experts emphasized the increasing politicization of the migration issue as a major driver of controversy. Dong noted that migration in Europe is no longer merely an economic or social issue, but has become a sharp political weapon tied to election outcomes. "Stances and policies are often shaped more by political needs than by governance realities," he explained.

This dynamic, he added, is compressing the EU's maneuvering space for coordinating compromise and support, while fueling a vicious cycle in which rising public anxiety over migration empowers right-wing political actors, who then advocate for increasingly restrictive measures.

Foundational issue

Jian Junbo, a professor and director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University, echoed this view, saying that for far-right parties, migration is a foundational issue to gain support and influence.

"They will use such incidents to expand their influence aggressively. Meanwhile, many ruling parties face pressure if they appear too lenient," said Jian, indicating that the issue involves not just national interests but also political struggles among parties.

On Tuesday, EU interior ministers held an emergency video meeting to discuss the crisis, agreeing that border reinforcement and stronger mechanisms for migrant returns are necessary.

However, experts cautioned that Europe's migration challenge is structural and that simply shutting the door or cracking down on immigration is just a band-aid fix, not a real solution. Jian noted that because of Europe's colonial history and the economic disparities between migrant-origin countries and Europe, as well as Europe's own labor market shortages, which create demand for migrants, migration is a long-term issue for the continent to tackle.

"The fundamental solution is to create conditions that allow people to stay in their home regions by contributing to local stability and economic prosperity. Europe should do more in this regard. Merely stopping migrants or tightening policies is treating the symptoms, not the root cause," he said.

The real test, Jian argued, also lies in overcoming internal contradictions and forging a unified, EU-wide consensus on migration.

"With widening gaps between member states and the rise of far-right parties pushing for stricter policies, finding a mechanism-level agreement will be a long-term challenge," he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

yangran1@chinadaily.com.cn