EU criticises Spain's migrant plan after Ceuta crisis meeting

The European Union's top migration official has criticised Spain's plan to regularise undocumented migrants, saying the scheme sends "not a good signal" for Europe, according to the Guardian. The remarks came after a meeting convened to address the fallout from the Ceuta border crisis, where at least 72 people are believed to have died late last week, most drowned or crushed while attempting to cross into the Spanish enclave.

The criticism highlights deepening fault lines within the 27-nation bloc over how to respond to migration, with the EU executive urging unity while member states pursue divergent national policies. The Guardian reported that the EU's migration commissioner said the Spanish scheme was "not a good signal" for Europe, underscoring tensions between Brussels and Madrid.

The dispute follows Italy's temporary suspension of the Schengen arrangement with Spain, a measure that impacts people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries. The move, announced after roughly 60,000 migrants reached Ceuta, has been framed by some observers as a political gesture rather than a meaningful European policy.