Another country called for the suspension of Spain's participation in Schengen

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš called for the immediate restriction of Spain's participation in the Schengen area after the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in northern Africa.

The head of the Czech government described the situation as a scandal, for which, in his opinion, the Spanish authorities are responsible. The statement by Babiš was relayed to journalists by Czech government spokesman Martin Vodička.

Babiš criticized the immigration policy of the Spanish government, in particular, the program for the legalization of foreigners who permanently lived in the country before January 1, 2026, and had no criminal record. Nearly 1.2 million people applied for the program, the majority of whom came from Latin American and African countries.

In the opinion of the Czech prime minister, Madrid's actions sent the wrong signal to migrants and led to a repetition of the situation that Europe faced in 2015. He also linked the Spanish government's decisions to the approaching elections.

Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Macinka took a more restrained position. He called the situation a serious problem for the entire Schengen area, but stated that he is not yet advocating for the exclusion of Spain and awaits Madrid's official position. The Czech Republic is discussing the crisis with representatives of other European states.

Since Thursday, tens of thousands of people have arrived in Ceuta from neighboring Morocco. Spanish authorities have strengthened border security and begun to return some of the migrants, but the flow of people and attempts to enter the exclave by sea have continued.

Babiš's proposal is a political demand. A decision on the suspension of Spain's participation in the Schengen area at the European Union level has not been made.

Source: České Noviny