Meloni at EU Council: “Enforce Repatriation Rules” Then Clashes With Sanchez on Migration
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni clashed with Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez at the EU summit over migration policy, criticizing Spain's plan to regularize 500,000 undocumented migrants.
According to Il Giornale, the clash occurred on the second day of the EU Council meeting as leaders discussed migration management and the bloc’s upcoming budget. While Meloni and Sanchez have found common ground on budgetary matters, their positions on migration control remain fundamentally opposed.
The confrontation began when Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a Social Democrat, praised the approval of new EU regulations on migrant repatriation. Sanchez reportedly criticized the harder line being adopted by the European Union on migration enforcement.
Meloni responded by defending Frederiksen’s position and launching a direct attack on Madrid’s decision to regularize at least 500,000 undocumented migrants currently in Spain. The Italian leader pointed out that Spain’s mass amnesty policy would have consequences far beyond Spanish borders, affecting the entire EU migration system.
The exchange highlights the growing divide between nations seeking stricter border controls and those pursuing more permissive migration policies. Meloni joined 18 other EU leaders in signing a letter urging rapid implementation of new repatriation rules, including the establishment of migration processing hubs in third countries outside Europe.
Before the Council session began, the Italian Prime Minister met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and participated in a working group on innovative migration management solutions promoted by Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Nicola Procaccini, head of the European Conservatives and Reformists group and a member of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, has openly condemned the Spanish government’s mass regularization plan. Sanchez, arriving at the European Council, reiterated his opposition to the new repatriation regulation and the concept of processing centers in third countries, claiming the EU is sending the wrong message on migration.
The diplomatic sources cited by EU policy outlet Euractiv suggest the confrontation was particularly sharp, reflecting the increasingly polarized debate over migration policy that continues to divide European capitals. While some nations push for tougher enforcement and offshore processing, others advocate for regularization and expanded pathways to legal status.
The summit agenda also covered the European Union’s multi-year budget framework and developments in the Middle East crisis, though migration policy remained the most contentious issue among the assembled leaders.
With information from Il Giornale
