Alberto Núñez Feijóo avoids supporting the refugee expulsion centers outside EU territory, proposed by Ursula von der Leyen and which the European People’s Party approved in a meeting attended by the head of the opposition. The leader of the Spanish PP approved the toughening measures proposed by Germany, which has established border controls in the Schengen area, or by the Pole Donald Tusk, who intends to suspend the right to asylum; but she did not want to support the proposal made by the president of the European Commission, copying the model of the Italian far right Giorgia Meloni.
“There is no magic formula,” Feijóo told a press conference in Brussels after meeting the leaders of the popular political family ahead of the European Council meeting. “At this moment, for leaders, finding solutions must be a priority for the EU,” he said of this meeting in which migration will be one of the main issues on the table of the leaders of the 27 and during which a Most countries committed to strengthening their migration policies, in particular by creating refugee centers outside the EU, as Meloni did with Albania, and this which Spain rejects.
Although Feijóo avoided supporting the proposal, the European People’s Party did so in a statement after the leaders’ meeting. “The EU, as such, should use the influence of all other policies, including visa conditioning. We must also be ready to learn lessons as we enter the implementation phase of the Italy-Albania agreement. In the same spirit, we should explore options for return transit centers that would relieve the pressure on our reception and asylum systems,” indicates this text in line with what Von der Leyen has defended.
Feijóo used the excuse that “irregular migration is not the same” in some countries as in others and took the opportunity to attack Pedro Sánchez for “the absence of immigration policy”. Among the points he criticized was “Spain’s inability to reach agreements with third countries.” However, there are several collaboration agreements with countries of origin or transit, such as Morocco. In fact, Sánchez signed three agreements with Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia last August.
“As countries and their leaders seek points of agreement on irregular migration policy, Sánchez finds himself alone in this debate,” criticized Feijóo. A majority of EU countries have defended the creation of these centers which the Spanish government considers to be ineffective in combating irregular immigration. The insistence of the Sánchez executive is that the work continues with the countries of origin and transit, as Feijóo himself said, and that the application of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum is accelerated, the entry into force of which is planned for summer 2026. .
France and Germany have also defended it, even if they differ on the points to be prioritized: while Spain wants it to be applied globally, some capitals choose to accelerate issues related to border control and to leave matters related to “solidarity” for later. , such as the distribution of refugee quotas.
