Divisions between European Union member states over migration policy deepened at a tense summit in Brussels, convened to discuss the storming of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by around 60,000 migrants the previous week. The gathering, described as "bitter", saw several countries criticise Madrid's handling of the border crisis, exposing fresh rifts within the bloc over how to manage large-scale migration pressures at its external frontiers. The episode underscores the EU's continuing struggle to forge a unified response to migration, an issue that has repeatedly strained relations between member states and tested the bloc's shared border and asylum arrangements.

The crisis was triggered by the mass crossing into Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the North African coast that shares a land border with Morocco, making it one of the EU's only land entry points from Africa and a recurring flashpoint for such incursions. At the summit, other EU countries reportedly rounded on Spain over its response, reflecting broader frustration at the lack of a coordinated bloc-wide approach to sudden surges in migrant numbers. The disagreements highlight how unresolved tensions over burden-sharing and border enforcement continue to complicate EU unity on migration.