The arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta has exposed deep divisions within the EU over border controls, national responsibility and the future of the Schengen area. Marcin Zaborowski, TVP World’s Europe Editor, told our News in Depth program that the crisis reflected both Spain’s liberal migration policy and its complicated relationship with Morocco, particularly over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Spain recently introduced a regularization process for undocumented migrants who could prove they had lived in the country for at least five months. More than one million people applied, most of them from Latin America. Zaborowski argued that the measure sent a wider signal that Spain offered a path to legal residence, creating what critics describe as a “pull factor.” Schengen under pressure Italy responded to the Ceuta crisis by introducing temporary checks on some travelers arriving from Spain, while France strengthened controls along its Spanish border. Asked whether the dispute could mark the beginning of the end of Europe's Schengen passport-free travel system, Zaborowski said: “I think that would be too much.” He noted that member states had previously restored temporary border checks during the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier migration crises. Most migrants who entered Ceuta later returned to Morocco, and Spanish authorities said none reached mainland Spain. Zaborowski said there was now “a near consensus across the European Union” that external borders must be strengthened and irregular migration discouraged. “Spain did the opposite,” he said.
