Ayuso urges EU to review Spain's migration management

Ayuso urges EU to review Spain's migration management

What is happening at Spanish borders that has led the Madrid regional president to ask Brussels to scrutinize the central government’s handling of migration? The figure triggering alarms is from the Canary Islands: 3,678 irregular migrants arrived in the first half of 2024, a 286% increase year-on-year. The archipelago now exceeds records from the 2006 cayuco crisis, and 2023 closed as the worst year for irregular immigration since statistics began in 2005. Against this backdrop, the President of the Community of Madrid has called on the European Union to “take action” and examine what Pedro Sánchez’s executive is doing to secure the borders.

The data triggering all alerts

The dispute is not merely political. In the first three weeks of January, Spain received more irregular sea arrivals than Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta combined, according to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. This record, circulated by various media outlets, depicts an overwhelmed Canary route and Barajas Airport, which prosecutors describe as a hub for irregular immigration: “massive and uncontrolled” arrivals are straining police and health resources. The Red Cross itself has warned that a potential withdrawal of Frontex would multiply arrivals.

A factor adding noise to the picture: Frontex, the European border agency, temporarily suspended operations in Spain due to the government’s reluctance to sign the 2024 operational plan. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska insisted the agreement would be finalized “within hours.” Meanwhile, the EU has asked the executive to allow cooperation in the Canaries: “Without a request from the government, we cannot support them,” stated Frontex’s executive director from the European Parliament. The Canary Islands’ president, Fernando Clavijo, has requested to appear before the European Parliament regarding the archipelago’s “critical situation.”

Who manages centers for unaccompanied minors and why it is disputed

Jurisdictional conflict is the other major axis. Some analyses argue that centers for unaccompanied minors fall under the Community of Madrid’s authority, giving the regional president direct scope for action. Others counter that migration policy and border control are exclusive competencies of the central government, and demanding from Brussels what isn’t resolved in Moncloa is a way to evade the problem. Ayuso herself told Vox that “crime is not related to people’s origin” and urged against conflating migrant minors with broader issues, a stance clashing with her own demands to the EU.

The debate has also shifted toward document fraud. Reports indicate cases at Barajas of individuals posing as minors and citizens falsifying nationality to seek asylum. Prosecutors have warned the airport is a focal point for irregular immigration, and the Spanish Consulate in Tangier dismissed an employee over visa sales. Five employees at El Prat Airport were arrested for facilitating illegal entry of immigrants by providing IDs and uniforms to bypass checks.

Political clash: From Junts to Orbán

The transfer of migration competencies to Junts has angered Socialist leaders. Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha, criticized it harshly: “If Vox had asked for this, we’d be scandalized.” In Brussels, the PP claimed Sánchez’s “inaction” on immigration “endangers EU security” and accused the government of leaving the Canaries, Ceuta, and Melilla “agonizing without help.” Simultaneously, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced he would defy asylum laws and charter buses to Brussels carrying migrants, adding another piece to the European standoff.

The economic background is the least discussed yet most significant aspect. Those advocating for resource-backed immigration argue that foreigners buying property outright arrive with visas, private health insurance, and savings invested in Spain, generating no public expenditure from day one. Opponents of the current model contend that irregular arrivals create immediate costs in healthcare, security, and social services. A comparison between these profiles—and their real fiscal impact—still lacks official accounting breakdowns.

What remains unresolved

Frontex’s 2024 operational plan remains unsigned as of this writing, and the Canaries continue their request to appear before the European Parliament. The EU has made clear it will not intervene without a formal request from the Spanish government. Meanwhile, some claim, based on published reports, that Segarro has emptied prisons and pushed convicts toward Spain, and state airline Royal Air Maroc is linked to so-called “patera flights” overwhelming Barajas.

Given these elements, the question is not whether the EU should act, but why a government boasting pro-European management has spent months failing to sign the document that activates European aid. A bitter irony for an executive demanding solidarity from Brussels while keeping the door to cooperation locked.