EU migration chief criticises Spain's regularisation plan

The European Union's top migration official has publicly 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 crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave where at least 72 people are believed to have died late last week, most of them drowned or crushed while attempting to cross from Morocco.

The criticism lands at a delicate moment for the 27-nation bloc, which has been grappling with the fallout from the mass influx into Ceuta. Italy, which has temporarily suspended its Schengen border arrangement with Spain over the episode, has watched the dispute unfold from Rome, where the government has taken a hard line on migration in recent years.

The Guardian reported that the EU commissioner's comments reflect a broader divide within the bloc over how to respond to irregular migration. While Spain has framed its regularisation plan as a humanitarian measure, the commissioner argued it could incentivise further crossings, a position that resonates with Rome's own emphasis on external border enforcement.