EU ‘civil war’ erupts over Ceuta migrant crossings as number of deaths grows | World | News

The EU has plunged into a war of words as a Spanish official branded the reaction of some members of the bloc to the massive Ceuta migrant crossings as “selfish, polarising and unlawful”. It comes after Italy temporarily suspended the European Union’s border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister said. “We do have land borders with Africa, which is not the case for any other member country [of the EU]”. He said that while most EU countries have expressed their support for Spain in this situation, there have been other countries that have “shown a very selfish attitude with no solidarity. They have taken a selfish approach, trying to score party points. This attitude is not acceptable.”

He said Frontex (the EU agency tasked with managing the bloc’s external borders) has previously highlighted that Spain has the second most secure borders in the EU.